US President Joe Biden, Sunday 21st July 2024, finally announced his exit from the November 2024 American presidential race, ending weeks of calls from donors, supporters, and party chieftains that he should drop his reelection ambition.
Biden, who is serving his first term as president, had sought re-nomination to serve a second term through his Democratic Party, but faced with publicly known issues bordering on his health, especially his mental alertness, many observers had called on him not to seek reelection, but Biden had insisted that he would only do that if God told him to. Perhaps by Sunday’s announcement, God has spoken to him to drop his ambition.
In a terse announcement signed simply, Joseph R. Biden, JR, now available online, (see full text below) Biden thanked Americans for standing by him in the course of his service as president.
He also had words of gratitude to his Vice President, Kamala Harris, for being a good partner with him in running the country.
With this development, the Democratic Party is most likely to make Vice President Kamala Harris its nominee for the he November 2024 elections to confront former President Donald Trump who has already been nominated by the Republican Party.
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Full text of Biden’s announcement:
JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR.
July 21, 2024
My Fellow Americans,
Over the past three and a half years, we have made progress as a Nation. Today, America has the strongest economy in the world. We’ve made historic investments in rebuilding our Nation, in lowering prescription drug costs for seniors, and in expanding affordable health care to a record number of Americans. We’ve provided critically needed care to a million veterans exposed to toxic substances. Passed the first gun safety law in 30 years. Appointed the first African American woman to the Supreme Court. And passed the most significant climate legislation in the history of the world. America has never been better positioned to lead than we are today.
I know none of these could have been done without you the American people. Together, we overcame a once in a century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We’ve protected and preserved our Democracy. And we’ve revitalised and strengthened our alliances around the world.
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.
I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision.
For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me reelected. I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me express my heart felt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me.
I believe today what I always have: that there is nothing America can’t do – when we do it together. We just have to remember we are the United States of America.