Way clear for Harris

So now Biden is stepping down as a candidate after all!

Joe Biden is throwing in the towel and stepping down as the Democrats' US presidential candidate.

(Bild: AFP/Saul Loeb)

US President Joe Biden is throwing in the towel in the race for the White House and is stepping down as the Democratic candidate. The 81-year-old made the announcement on Sunday. Biden now wants to support his Vice President Kamala Harris in her candidacy.

Biden announced his withdrawal from the presidential race via social media Instagram, Facebook and X.

Kamala Harris is seen as the logical replacement candidate
For the Democrats, this now means that they need to find a replacement for Biden quickly. The current US Vice President Kamala Harris is seen as the logical candidate. The Democrats will officially nominate their candidate at a party conference in Chicago in mid-August.

Kamala Harris

(Bild: AFP/Getty Images via AFP)

Internal pressure for Biden has been growing
In recent weeks, 81-year-old Biden has come under massive pressure within his own party due to his age and mental state. Biden's withdrawal so close to the election is a dramatic turnaround and is causing further chaos in an already historic US election year.

Biden: "In the best interests of my party and the country"
"While it was my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interests of my party and the country for me to withdraw and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term," the Democrat wrote in a written statement. "I will speak more fully to the nation about my decision later this week."

More and more party colleagues had doubts
Biden had come under extreme criticism after a disastrous performance in a televised duel against former President Trump at the end of June. During the exchange of blows, the most powerful man in the world regularly floundered, lost his train of thought, stared into space with his mouth open and was often unable to finish his sentences properly.

There had already been reservations about Biden's re-election ambitions within the Democratic Party and among the population due to his age. But after the duel, the debate about Biden's suitability as the Democrats' presidential candidate flared up to a whole new level - and in public.

Joe Biden

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur/Susan Walsh)

Poll ratings got worse and worse
After the debate, Biden's poll ratings deteriorated significantly once again. And in his own party, one after the other dared to publicly call for Biden's withdrawal from the presidential race. The president himself initially tried to talk his way out of it.

He explained his weak performance with fatigue as a result of strenuous trips abroad. He had not listened to his advisors and had overextended himself. At various appearances, he appeared defiant and assured the audience time and again that he would not withdraw. But more blunders followed. And in the end, the pressure from within his own ranks became too great.

In recent days, Biden had withdrawn to his private home in Rehoboth, Delaware, after contracting coronavirus and did not make any public appointments. During his forced break, he now decided to bow to pressure from his party colleagues.