Joe Biden drops out of 2024 race amid growing pressure from top Democrats

WASHINGTON − President Joe Biden said Sunday he is ending his bid for reelection amid intense pressure from Democratic leaders sounding the alarm that his path to beat former President Donald Trump in November had vanished.

The president's historic withdrawal throws the 2024 race − already roiled by a shocking attempt on Trump's life − into uncertain territory, with Vice President Kamala Harris widely seen as the Democrat most likely to take Biden's place atop the party's ticket.

Biden made the announcement from his home in Rehoboth Beach, Del., where he's self-isolated since testing positive for COVID-19 Thursday night.

"It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President," Biden said in a letter addressed to Americans. "And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and my country for me to stand down and to focus solely on my duties as President for the rest of my term."

Biden quickly endorsed Harris as the Democratic nominee in a separate statement on X. He said he would speak to the nation later this week to provide more details about his decision.

It marks an extraordinary turn for Biden, who for three weeks remained defiant in the face of growing calls from Democratic lawmakers that he withdraw after a disastrous June 27 debate with Trump raised scrutiny over the president's mental fitness.

In his statement, Biden reflected fondly on his four years in office, saying the U.S. has built the “strongest economy in the world” while touting efforts to lower prescription drug prices, expand health care, tackle climate change and appointing the first Black woman to the Supreme Court, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

The decision upends the 2024 election less than 110 days before Election Day, with Democratic National Committee members now tasked with choosing an alternative nominee to take on Trump, whose polling lead has swelled while Democrats have fought internally.

Biden's departure will soon mean the end of a five-decade career in Washington that began in 1972 with an upset victory for U.S. Senate in Delaware. He served as a senator for 36 years, then as Obama's vice president from 2009 to 2017. Biden returned to public life to run against Trump in the 2020 presidential election. He framed the race as a "battle for the soul of the nation" and defeated Trump 51%-47% in the popular vote.

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DNC chair says Democrats will launch process of choosing new candidate

Democratic National Committee chairman Jaime Harrison said in the coming days Democrats will “undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward as a united Democratic Party with a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump in November.”

Harrison said the process will be “governed by established rules and procedures of the Party.”

“Our delegates are prepared to take seriously their responsibility in swiftly delivering a candidate to the American people,” Harrison said, adding that the American people will hear “in short order” from the Democratic Party on the next steps in the nomination process.

The DNC convention is set for Aug. 19 to 22 in Chicago, but Democratic National Committee leaders have planned for a virtual roll-call vote before Aug. 7 to satisfy concerns with ballot deadlines in several states.

− Joey Garrison

Josh Shapiro calls Biden a 'patriot'

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro hailed Joe Biden as a “patriot” and commended his work as president in a social media post on Sunday shortly after the president announced he was dropping out of the 2024 race.“President Biden has gotten an incredible amount done to move our country forward, defend our democracy, and protect real freedom,” Shapiro wrote on X, formerly Twitter.Shapiro has been floated as a potential Democratic presidential nominee to replace Biden, or as a vice presidential nominee if Kamala Harris takes over the top of the ticket. Shapiro did not mention Harris in his message Sunday.“I am proud to work by his side and am grateful for his leadership and his unwavering commitment to delivering for Pennsylvania — the Commonwealth that raised him,” Shapiro said about Biden in the post.

−Karissa Waddick

Schumer says Biden put 'his country, his party, and our future first'

Chuck Schumer shared in a post on X that "Joe Biden has not only been a great president and a great legislative leader but he's a truly amazing human being."

"His decision of course was not easy, but he once again put his country, his party, and our future first. Joe, today shows you are a true patriot and great American," he added.

−Marina Pitofsky

Biden exits race amid widespread pressure, mounting concerns about his age

Biden's exit came after he received bleak warnings from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., that his candidacy could lead to massive losses for Democrats in the Senate and House. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shared similar concerns to Biden.

More than 30 congressional Democrats had called for Biden to bow out. Former President Barack Obama reportedly also relayed fears privately to Democratic allies about Biden's prospects of beating Trump. Democratic donors from Hollywood to Wall Street also came out against Biden continuing his reelection bid.

Biden, 81, has battled Americans’ concerns over his age since he took office but it turned into panic for Democrats after last month's first debate with Trump, the Republican nominee. Biden's voice sounded faint, he struggled to complete sentences and finish thoughts, and he failed to rebut many of Trump's claims on the debate stage.

Biden's campaign was in a free fall over the past few weeks with his future in doubt. Instead of focusing solely on Trump, Democrats spent as much time and energy debating whether Biden could even defeat his predecessor.

Fundraising for the Biden campaign took a dramatic hit. And Biden not only fell behind in key battleground states that will decide the election, but his growing unpopularity seemed to put recent Democratic strongholds like Virginia in play for Trump.

−Joey Garrison and Swapna Venugopal

Biden becomes first incumbent not to seek reelection since LBJ

Biden becomes the first incumbent president not to seek reelection since Lyndon B. Johnson who, in 1968 amid national unrest and turmoil within the Democratic Party over the Vietnam War, stunned the nation with his decision not to seek a second full term.

− Joey Garrison

Who could replace Biden?

With Biden's endorsement, Harris is the clear frontrunner to replace Biden as the Democratic nominee, but the party's bench of Democratic governors could also be in the mix including Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Gavin Newsom of California.

− Joey Garrison

Trump knocks Biden after exit

Donald Trump, in a post on his social media web site Truth Social after Biden’s exit, wrote: "Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve - And never was!”

“We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has done very quickly,” Trump added.

−Joey Garrison

Jill Biden reacts to Joe Biden dropping out of 2024 race

First lady Jill Biden on Sunday reposted the president's message with heart emojis. She also retweeted her husband's message endorsing Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.

− Marina Pitofsky

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden drops out: President leaves 2024 race amid party pressure