Biden’s decision follows weeks of mounting pressure from within his own party and from key Democratic donors urging him to step aside for the sake of the party’s future. This announcement marks a significant shift in the political landscape as the Democratic Party must now quickly organize to select a new nominee before August 7.
“It has been the greatest honor 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 statement posted on social media.