US election | Biden steps back, nominates Kamala Harris as Democrats' new nominee

In a stunning decision, embattled US President Joe Biden on Sunday (July 21) announced that he was withdrawing from the race to be the next president in 2024 and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party's new nominee.

Biden's decision to nominate Harris, who is of both Indian and African origin, follows weeks of intense pressure from fellow Democrats after his disastrous presidential debate performance against his Republican rival and former US president Donald Trump last month.

“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,” Biden said in a post on X.

Worst President: Trump

In a phone call with CNN minutes after Biden announced his exit from the race, Trump described Biden as “the worst president by far in the history of our country.” Speaker of the House Mike Johnson urged President Biden to resign from office shortly after the president announced he would not seek reelection.

“If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President. He must resign the office immediately. November 5 cannot arrive soon enough,” Johnson, a prominent Republican, said in a statement posted on X.

But Biden campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond said President Biden did the right thing by endorsing Harris after dropping out of the race.

First female, Black Vice President

Harris has been serving as the US Vice President since 2021, when she became America’s first female, first Black and first South Asian vice president.

“He picked her as his running mate. He got a chance to see how smart, how tough, how good she is,” Richmond said about the 59-year-old vice president.

The campaign will need to “figure out” in the coming days how exactly to proceed, but Richmond said it will work to support Harris.

Earlier, Biden announced that he has decided not to contest the presidential election.

“My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. 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,” Biden said.

'Greatest honour of my life'

The 81-year-old president's decision comes four months before Americans go to the polls on November 5.

“It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve as your President. 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, said in a message to fellow Americans in a six-paragraph open letter posted on social media.

Such a decision from Biden comes amid a visible deterioration in his health. The president is currently in self-isolation at his Delaware residence after he tested positive with COVID-19.

Biden said he will speak to the nation later this week in more detail about his decision.

“For now let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me reelected. I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me,” Biden said.

One-page letter

In his one-page letter, Biden said: "Today, America has the strongest economy in the world. We have made historic investments in rebuilding our nation in lowering prescription drug costs for seniors, and in expanding affordable health care to a record number of Americans. He noted that his administration has provided critically needed care to millions of veterans exposed to toxic substances. His administration also passed the first gun safety law in 30 years.

He also noted that his administration passed the most significant climate legislation in the history of the world. America has never been better positioned to lead than we are today,” he said.

“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 revitalised and strengthened our alliance around the world,” Biden said.

In a letter posted to his social media account, Biden, currently isolating at his home in Delaware because of COVID, said it had been the greatest honour of his life to serve as president.

"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 the duties as President for the remainder of my term".

Address to the nation

Biden said in his statement he would address the nation on the matter next week.

President Biden thanked his Vice President Kamala Harris, saying she was an "extraordinary partner". Biden, however, did not explicitly did not endorse Harris, his running mate.

“It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve as your President,” he wrote.

With agency inputs