United States President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he is withdrawing from the presidential election race, leaving Republican Donald Trump without a Democratic challenger –- for now.
Biden had previously insisted he is not backing down, adamant that he is the candidate who beat Trump before and will do it again this year.
But the move comes after many top Democrats had privately and publicly expressed concern over Biden’s ability to beat Trump, citing concerns about this age.
On July 18, several media outlets reported that former U.S. president Barack Obama has privately expressed concerns to Democrats about Biden’s candidacy. And Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi privately warned Biden that Democrats could lose the ability to seize control in the House if he didn’t step away from the race.
California Rep. Adam Schiff, on July 17, became the highest-profile House Democrat to call for Biden to drop his reelection bid, saying that while the decision is Biden’s alone to make, he believes it’s time to “pass the torch.”
Biden, 81, was elected president on Nov. 3, 2020, along with his Vice-Presidential running mate, Kamala Harris. He took office on Jan. 20, 2021.
- With files from the Associates Press and Reuters