US President Joe Biden announces he is withdrawing from the race

US President Joe Biden, who had announced he was running for another term, has declared that he is withdrawing from the election.

In his statement, Biden said he would focus on fulfilling his duties as president for the remainder of his term.

Biden included the following statements in his written announcement:

''July 21, 2024 My fellow Americans.. Over the past three and a half years, we have made great progress as a nation. Today, America has the strongest economy in the world. We have made historic investments in rebuilding our nation, lowering prescription drug costs for seniors, and expanding affordable healthcare to a record number of Americans.

We have provided critically needed care to one million veterans exposed to toxic substances. We passed the first gun safety law in 30 years. We appointed the first African American woman to the Supreme Court. And we passed the most significant climate legislation in world history.

America has never been better positioned to lead than we are today. I know none of this 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 have protected and preserved our democracy. And we have revitalized 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 in more detail about my decision later this week. 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 heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me. I believe today what I have always believed: that there is nothing America can't do when we do it together. We just need to remember who we are, the United States of America.''

DEMOCRATS HAD BEEN FREQUENTLY CALLING FOR IT

Due to concerns regarding his age and mental health, 34 Democrats had called on Joe Biden to "withdraw from the presidential race." A total of 34 Democrats, including 4 senators and 30 members of the House of Representatives, had called on the 81-year-old Biden to withdraw from the race.

WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

For the presidential election to be held in the US on November 5, Biden and his Republican rival Donald Trump faced off in their first live televised debate on CNN on the night of June 27.

The 81-year-old Biden failed to deliver a performance that would alleviate concerns about his age in his bid for a second term and was subjected to intense criticism following the program.

Calls for Biden to "withdraw from the presidential election" had been made by segments of the Democratic Party and some media outlets that support him.

Biden, however, had acknowledged that his health was not what it used to be, but stated that he was still the best alternative against Trump and had announced that he would not withdraw from the race.