WASHINGTON DC - Joe Biden on Sunday dropped out of the US presidential election and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party's new nominee, in a stunning move that upends an already extraordinary 2024 race for the White House.
Biden, 81, said it had been the "greatest honor of my life to serve as your president" as he bowed to weeks of pressure to step aside after a disastrous television debate performance against Donald Trump stoked worries about his age and health.
"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," Biden said in a letter on X.
He issued the statement while recovering from Covid at his beach house in Delaware, and said he would address the nation later in the week to explain his decision not to seek a second term.
First Lady Jill Biden reacted by simply reposting his statement, along with two hearts. Granddaughter Naomi Biden said on X that she was "nothing but proud today of my Pop, our President."
Biden's exit throws Democrats into fresh instability as November 5 rapidly approaches, with no automatic replacement candidate. However, there is also an opportunity to reenergize the demoralized party.
Biden swiftly announced he was backing Harris, 59, who is who is the first Black and South Asian woman to be vice president in US history and will now be aiming to become the first female commander-in-chief.
"Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year," Biden said on X. "Democrats -- it's time to come together and beat Trump. Let's do this."
Still highly influential former Democratic president Barack Obama cautioned that "uncharted waters" lie ahead but "an outstanding nominee" will emerge.
Republican former president Trump led other Republicans in saying that because Biden had not been "fit to run" for president, he was now not "fit to serve" either.
- 'Greatness and goodness' -
The plot twist will rattle Trump too, forcing him to recalibrate a campaign that was focused almost entirely on Biden.
It also means that the 78-year-old former president is now the much older candidate, and one with his own history of verbal stumbles.
Democrats lined up to pay tribute to Biden. Former president Bill Clinton thanked Biden for "all he has accomplished" and also backed Harris.
Former house speaker Nancy Pelosi -- widely seen as one of the prime movers behind the attempt to oust Biden -- said "God blessed America with Joe Biden's greatness and goodness."
Biden's decision to pull out caps a tense and chaotic period in the US election, with Trump having survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally on July 13.
The Democrat is the first president in US history to pull out so late in an election race, and the first to bow out because of concerns over his mental acuity and health.
Biden spent more than three weeks resisting calls to step down following the shock of the June 27 debate, during which he often lost his train of thought and stood with mouth agape.
Biden blamed his "bad night" on a cold and jet-lag and at one point insisted that only the "Lord Almighty" could convince him to back out.
But a fightback including multiple interviews and a press conference just produced further gaffes including calling Harris "Vice President Trump."
A tide of voices within his own party calling on him to go, starting with donor and actor George Clooney and ending with Obama, sealed his fate.
- 'Soul of America' -
Democrats will now scramble to find a smooth path forward, with Biden's endorsement meaning Harris is the clear frontrunner for the nomination. Party leaders will be hoping to avoid a chaotic open contest at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 19.
While Harris struggled to make an impact in her first years in the White House, she has emerged in the last year as a strong performer on the campaign trail on key messages such as abortion rights.
In recent weeks, the Biden campaign has reportedly been quietly carrying out a head-to-head survey of voters measuring how the former California prosecutor matched up against convicted felon Trump.
Biden meanwhile joins a small club of US presidents who have decided to throw in the towel after just one term, with the last being Lyndon Johnson in 1968 -- a year also marked by political turmoil and violence.
Biden took office in January 2021 pledging to heal the "soul of America" after four turbulent years under Trump and the shock of the January 6, 2021 Capitol assault by his supporters.
Overcoming a reputation for verbal flubs, Obama's former vice president gave strong backing to Ukraine's battle against Russia's 2022 invasion, pushed through a massive Covid recovery plan and a green industry scheme.
But he faced criticism over the catastrophic US withdrawal from Afghanistan and inflation that meant overstretched Americans ignored otherwise positive economic numbers.
Behind it all were the ongoing concerns about his age with a series of senior moments, including tripping up the stairs to Air Force One and falling off his bike. - AFP