The United States President Joe Biden has announced he will no longer seek reelection.
He has, however, endorsed Kamala Harris, US vice-president, as his replacement.
He said in a statement on Sunday that his decision was in the best interest of the US, noting that he will now focus on completing his current term.
Biden has been under pressure to quit the presidential race amid concerns of ill-health, with a number of Democrats calling for his resignation.
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Currently, 37 Democratic and Independent lawmakers have called for him to quit the presidential race ahead of the US elections in November.
Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat turned independent, became one of the latest high-profile politicians to ask Biden to drop his ambition for the new generation.
West Virginia lawmaker told CNN’s ‘State of the Union’ that it was time the president “pass the torch to a new generation.”
Peter Welch of Vermont, Jon Tester of Montana, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Sherrod Brown of Ohio — all Democratic senators — have all asked Biden to leave the race for a younger person.
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Biden’s recent poor presidential debate has worried several Democrats and intensified calls for his exit from the race.
The 81-year-old is facing Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, who himself is a former president defeated by Biden in 2020.
“Over the past three and a half years, we have made great progress as a Nation. Today, America has the strongest economy in the world,” Biden said in a statement after announcing his withdrawal from the presidential race.
“We’ve made historical investments in rebuilding our Nation, in lowering prescription drug costs for seniors, and in expanding affordable health care to a record number of Americans. We’ve provided critically needed care to a million veterans exposed to toxic substances.”
He said America has never been better positioned to lead than it is today.
“I know none of this could have been done without you, the American people. Together, we overcame a once in a century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We’ve protected and preserved our Democracy. And we’ve revitalized and strengthened our alliances around the world,” he noted.
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He said it has been the greatest honour of his life to serve as US President, noting that he believes it is in the best interest of his party and the country for him to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling his duties as President for the remainder of his term.
“I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision. For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me re-elected. I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work.
“I believe today what I always have: that there is nothing America can’t do – when we do it together. We just have to remember we are the United States of America,” he noted.
