President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he will “stand down” from his pursuit of a second term — dogged for weeks by a poor debate showing, concerns about his age, and slumping poll numbers in the race against Donald Trump.
He immediately endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor for both the Democratic nomination for president this year, and in turn the nation’s next commander-in-chief.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president,” Biden wrote in a letter posted on his personal X (Twitter) account on July 21. “And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”
Biden expressed gratitude “to all those who have worked so hard to see me reelected,” and to Harris “for being an extraordinary partner in all this work.”
Shortly after posting his letter, Biden then announced he would endorse Harris as the Democratic nominee for president this year. He urged the party to come together around Harris and focus on defeating Trump in November after weeks of tension and debate over his campaign’s future.
“My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my vice president. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made,” he said. “Today, I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
Harris, in her own statement later on Sunday afternoon, said she is “honored to have the President’s endorsement, and my intention is to earn and win this nomination.”
“Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking ith Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election. And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead,” Harris said. “I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party — and unite our nation — to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda.”
The vice president also saluted Biden “for his extraordinary leadership as president” with a “remarkable legacy of accomplishment [that] is unmatched in modern American history, surpassing the legacy of many presidents who have served two terms in office.”
Biden’s decision comes less than a month before the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, scheduled for Aug. 19-22. The president said he will speak further about his decision in an address later this week.
Following his poor showing at a CNN debate with former President Trump on June 27, Biden had faced increasing calls to drop out of the race, with many Democrats concerned whether the 81-year-old incumbent could effectively and successfully wage a reelection campaign.
Trump, 78, alleged in a post on his Truth social network Sunday that, “All those around him, including his Doctor and the Media, knew that he wasn’t capable of being President, and he wasn’t.”
Updated at 4:38 p.m. on July 21.
