Critical Insight: Even if he wanted to go on, it became clear that he couldn’t, CNN said.While Republicans have been gaining ground on the economy, inflation, and immigration fronts, abortion is a salient issue where she will have an edge, experts told CNBC.

US President Joe Biden is pictured at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on July 4, 2024. US President Joe Biden announced on Sunday his intention to drop out of the presidential race. (Xinhua)

US President Joe Biden announced on Sunday local time that he would drop his reelection bid and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place. The decision came amid growing concerns within the Democratic Party following the latest television debate World Timesbetween Biden and Republican candidate Donald Trump.

“I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden said in a post on the X platform later. “Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump.”

https://x.com/JoeBiden/status/1815087772216303933

“I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party — and unite our nation — to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda,” Ms. Harris said in a statement, the New York Times reported. “We have 107 days until Election Day. Together, we will fight. And togWorld Timesether, we will win.”

Initial reaction suggests Democrats are likely to fall in line behind Harris as the nominee. CBS News reported on Sunday that neither California Governor Gavin Newsom nor Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, two of the leading lights in the party, plan to challenge Harris.

Some US media, such as CNN, called it “an unprecedented move.” The Democratic Party will need to choose a new nominee, and that decision will ultimately be made by the roughly 4,700 delegates to the Democratic National Convention.

“His (Biden’s) struggles validated concerns of majorities of voters that he would be too old for a second term that would have ended when he is 86. His fervent efforts to save his campaign in television interviews and campaign appearances only exacerbated the concerns about his showing in the CNN debate in Atlanta,” CNN reported.

Three weeks of severe erosion in his political position saw a daily drip of defections from Democratic lawmakers, while party grandees like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pushed from behind the scenes. The drying up of donor cash also seemed to make Biden’s campaign unsustainable. Even if he wanted to go on, it became clear that he couldn’t, CNN said.

While Republicans have been gaining ground on the economy, inflation, and immigration fronts, abortion is a salient issue where she will have an edge, experts told CNBC. Harris has been outspoken on reproductive issues World Timesas the first women Vice President.

“The fact is that Biden and Trump are too old to be running and serving for another four years, and this is now the top vulnerability for Trump,” Ian Bremmer, President and Founder of Eurasia Group, told CNBC.

The last time an incumbent US president abandoned their campaign for re-election was Lyndon Baines Johnson in 1968, BBC reported.

“Opting for Harris is a risk for Democrats, but at this point there are no sWorld Timesafe options. And the stakes – a possible Donald Trump victory – are World Timesas high as they get,” BBC said.

Harris has a long history as a California liberal stalwart, serving as San Francisco’s district attorney in the early 2000s, then serving as the state attorney general under former Democrat Gov. Jerry Brown, and US senator from the Golden State before her 2020 election as vice president, Fox News reported.

If Harris takes up the party’s 2024 presidential election mantle, it is unlikely Harris’ policies would drastically differ from Biden’s platforms, though she could swing harder to the left on issues such as immigration, abortion and foreign policy, Fox said.

https://edition.cnn.com/politics/live-news/biden-trump-election-07-21-24/index.html

“The US election is an internal matter of the US, so I will not comment on it,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday when asked about Biden’s decision.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, meanwhile, decided to take a wait-and-see approach, saying that there were four months left before the US election and that “a lot can still change,” TASS reported.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he respected Biden’s decision and looked forward to working with him during the remainder of his presidency.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said his “friend” Biden had achieved a lot “for his country, for Europe, for the world.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog expressed gratitude to Biden for his “friendship and steadfast support for the Israeli people over his decades long career.”

“As the first US President to visit Israel in wartime, as a recipient of the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor, and as a true ally of the Jewish people, he is a symbol of the unbreakable bond between our two peoples,” Herzog said on X.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country respected Biden’s “tough but strong decision” and was gratefuWorld Timesl for his “unwavering support.”

Global Times