In a surprising move, US President Joe Biden has ended his re-election campaign and endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate, significantly altering the race for the White House.
Biden, 81, announced in a Sunday statement that serving as president had been the “greatest honour,” but stepping down was “in the best interest of my party and the country.”
This announcement follows a tumultuous period in US politics, highlighted by Biden’s often incoherent debate performance against Donald Trump on June 27.
Biden has stated that he will remain president until January.
Kamala Harris, 59, expressed her gratitude for the endorsement, stating she would “earn and win this nomination” and work to unite the country against Trump.
“We have 107 days until election day,” she said. “Together, we will fight. And together, we will win.”
Despite receiving endorsements from numerous prominent figures in the Democratic Party, Harris has yet to be officially nominated, a process that may not conclude until the Democratic National Convention in August.
Meanwhile, a resurgent Donald Trump has gained ground in polls and was confirmed as the Republican nominee at the party’s convention in Milwaukee this week, just five days after surviving an assassination attempt.
In response to Biden’s decision, Trump declared the president “was not fit to run… and is certainly not fit to serve,” with other senior Republicans echoing his criticism and urging Biden to leave the White House immediately, not just the Democratic candidacy.
Source-BBC
