Joe Biden has withdrawn from the race for the US presidency, a shocking decision that plunges the Democratic nomination into uncertainty just months before the November election against Donald Trump.
Biden had consistently warned that Trump poses an existential threat to American democracy.
The announcement followed a weeks-long pressure campaign by Democratic leaders, organizers, and donors who increasingly saw no path to victory with Biden on the ticket. His disastrous debate performance last month and uneven public appearances since have exacerbated voter concerns about his age and ability to serve another four years.
Biden’s decision to step aside, while remaining as president, caps a tumultuous few weeks in American politics. Trump, the former president and Republican nominee, narrowly survived an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, where he sustained a gunshot wound to his ear. Biden, after appealing for calm following the attack, returned to the campaign trail last week to salvage his candidacy and prove his doubters wrong.
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In media appearances, Biden was defiant, insisting he would remain the party’s standard-bearer in November unless intervened by the “Lord Almighty,” struck by a train, or faced a medical condition. However, on Wednesday, as Biden was set to deliver remarks at a conference in Nevada, he tested positive for Covid.
Biden’s withdrawal pushes the Democratic party into uncharted waters, with its national convention scheduled to begin on August 19 in Chicago. The new nominee will have a tight window to choose a running mate to challenge Trump and his vice-presidential pick, Ohio Senator JD Vance.
