Biden drops out as candidate for the Democratic Party in the US presidential race

*This is a developing story*

President Joe Biden has dropped out of the race for the White House following a chorus of voters, Democratic party members, and donors who called on him to step aside after his debate performance in late June. The disastrous debate performances by both President Biden and former President Donald Trump shocked the nation, but Biden’s inability to confront Trump and make a clear case for his re-election ended up being the takeaway from the event.

Biden made his decision formal in a letter which he posted to X. In it, he thanked Americans for what they’ve been able to achieve while he’s served as president and said that it’s been “the greatest honor of his life”.

“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.”

The White House has tried to move on from the debate for weeks, but the calls for him to step aside continued to grow. As congressional representatives returned to Washington after the Fourth of July weekend, many came with ‘evidence’ from their districts that the base was not with the president and that the party needed to act. As more polling data became available in the weeks that followed, more high-profile names within the party, including California Congressman Adam Schiff, called on President Biden to allow another candidate to lead the ticket.

The missteps in the ABC interview that lost him support

President Biden reiterated that he wouldn’t be pressured to step down in his first TV interview after the debate with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. When asked how he would feel if he lost to Trump, he said it wouldn’t bother him as long as he gave his best effort. Some elected officials and voters were not pleased with his response. They felt that Biden’s decision to stay in the race seemed selfish, especially considering the concerns about a second Trump presidency and the potential damage to American democracy. Many voters, who are constantly being told that fascism is looming, are being told by the Democrats that they are the best chance at preventing it from entering (or re-entering) the White House. If the president feels comfortable with a loss so long as he gave it his all, he is not taking the messaging of his own campaign seriously, and voters are taking note. These concerns became especially pertinent after the bump in the polls Donald Trump received after the attempted assassination he faced at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.