President Joe Biden announces he's dropping out of 2024 presidential race

President Joe Biden is leaving the 2024 contention aft a halting statement show against Donald Trump led to questions from Democrats astir his age, quality to transportation retired his run and whether helium could service a 2nd term.

Biden said successful a statement posted Sunday that helium volition "stand down."

"I judge it is successful the champion involvement of my enactment and the state for maine to basal down and to absorption solely connected fulfilling my duties arsenic President for the remainder of my term," helium wrote.

First woman Jill Biden reposted her husband's station announcing he's dropping retired with a hearts emoji.

The stunning determination upends what has been a agelong wide predetermination rematch betwixt Biden and Trump, some of whom handily won their party's primaries, with little than 4 months until the November contest.

While concerns astir Biden's property plagued him since helium launched his reelection run successful April 2023, they reached a fever transportation pursuing his showdown with Trump astatine the CNN statement successful Atlanta successful precocious June.

Biden, who astatine 81 is the oldest sitting president successful history, spoke with a hoarse dependable that his squad attributed to a cold. But coupled with his meandering answers and inability to deed Trump hard connected cardinal Democratic issues, his show near immoderate pundits and politicians speechless.

The White House and run chalked up the show arsenic a "bad night." Biden defiantly helium insisted helium would stay successful the race, repeatedly telling Democrats helium was the champion enactment to decision Trump.

"I convinced myself of 2 things. I'm the astir qualified idiosyncratic to bushed him, and I cognize however to get things done," Biden told ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos successful his archetypal post-debate tv interview.

"Look. I mean, if the Lord Almighty came down and said, 'Joe, get outta the race,' I'd get outta the race. The Lord Almighty's not comin' down," Biden said astatine the time.

But aboriginal polling showed the debate's antagonistic impact. In 538's nationalist polling average, Trump present leads by 2 percent points implicit Biden, portion the 2 candidates were conscionable astir tied connected the time of the June 27 debate.

And contempt Biden and his campaign's furious attempts astatine harm control, including a property league aft concluding a NATO acme successful Washington wherever helium took newsman questions for astir an hr and tried to marque the lawsuit helium indispensable "finish the job," a dependable drumbeat of Democratic lawmakers and nationalist figures called connected him to measurement speech arsenic the nominee.

"The 1 happening I cognize for definite is that we tin bash amended than Joe Biden arsenic a idiosyncratic who tin present our connection successful this predetermination cycle," Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., told ABC News. "And we person clip to bash that. And we should."

Publicly, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said they supported Biden during the party's turmoil. But privately, they were said to person been sympathetic to the presumption held by a increasing fig of legislature Democrats that Biden was connected a way to suffer to Trump.

Schumer went to Delaware to talk to Biden and made the lawsuit it would beryllium champion if Biden dropped retired of the 2024 statesmanlike race, ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl reported.

As scrutiny of Biden intensified, absorption accrued connected Vice President Kamala Harris arsenic a imaginable prime to regenerate him arsenic the Democratic nominee.

"I wouldn't person picked her unless I thought she was qualified to beryllium president," Biden said of Harris astatine his property league connected July 11.

The Democratic Party's dysfunction stood successful crisp opposition to the steadfast enactment unity shown to Trump during the Republican National Convention successful Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

As helium accepted his party's nomination, Trump spoke of the "love successful the room" and enthusiasm for what's to come.

"I americium moving to beryllium president for each of America, not fractional of America, due to the fact that determination is nary triumph successful winning for fractional of America," Trump said.

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