US President Joe Biden has dropped out of the 2024 presidential race against Donald Trump, after concerns over his age swirled around the candidate following his debate appearance last month.
Biden, who contracted covid last week, had made a number of public appearances in recent weeks that caused questions whether he would be fit to serve another term.
Almost three dozen Democrats in Congress have publicly called for him to stand down, with many more seemingly working behind the scenes to persuade him not to run.
Infighting will now begin in the party over whether Vice President Kamala Harris will take Biden’s place as the nominee, or if Democrats engage in a ‘mini-primary’ at their convention next month.
In a statement, Biden said: “It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve as your President. And while it had been my intention to seek re-election, 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,” he added.