Live updates: US President Joe Biden pulls out of election race
Joe Biden. Photo: Andrew Harnik / Getty Images / AFP
US President Joe Biden dropped his faltering re-election bid on Sunday, amid intensifying opposition within his own Democratic Party, and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him as the party's candidate against Republican Donald Trump.
Biden, 81, in a post on X said he will remain in his role as president and commander-in-chief until his term ends in January 2025. He has not been seen in public since testing positive for Covid-19 last week.
"While it has been my intention to seek re-election, 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 wrote.
If officially nominated, Harris, 59, would become the first Black woman to run to lead a major-party ticket in US history. A former attorney general of California and former US senator, she ran unsuccessfully for president against Biden in 2020.
"My intention is to earn and win this nomination," Harris said in a statement. "I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party - and unite our nation - to defeat Donald Trump."
Biden's campaign had been on the ropes since a disastrous debate against former President Trump, 78, in which the incumbent at times struggled to finish his thoughts.
- Reuters
Follow the latest updates with RNZ's live blog
for ad-free news and current affairs
