US Presidential Race: Joe Biden quits re-election bid, endorses Kamala Harris | Read

US: Joe Biden on Sunday dropped out of the US presidential election and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s new nominee, in a political earthquake that upends an already extraordinary 2024 race for the White House.
Biden, 81, said he was acting in the “best interest of my party and the country” by bowing to weeks of pressure after a disastrous June debate against Donald Trump stoked worries about his age and mental fitness.
The stunning move throws Democrats into fresh turmoil ahead of the November 5 election. But it could also reenergize the demoralized party, with Harris swiftly confirming her goal to become America’s first woman president and to “defeat Donald Trump.”
Trump reacted with a stream of posts on his Truth Social network, saying that because Biden is not “fit to run” for president, he is also not “fit to serve.”
However, the dramatic shift will wrong-foot Republicans, whose campaign was solely focused on Biden and will now instead feature 78-year-old Trump — the oldest presidential nominee in US history — up against a far younger opponent.
The move also transforms what had been a highly unpopular and dragging Trump-Biden rematch into one of the most compelling presidential campaigns in modern American politics.
Biden’s withdrawal had been widely expected at some point. The announcement finally came with no warning as he recovered from Covid at his Delaware beach house.
In a letter posted on X, Biden said it had been the “greatest honor of my life” to be president. He said he would address the nation later this week. The White House later said he had no public events scheduled for Monday.
“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 focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” he wrote.