Joe Biden will not run in the November elections. The President of the United States, and winner of the Democratic primaries, has decided to step aside after the enormous pressure from his party. This was communicated in a message on Twitter this Sunday.
""It has been the great honor of my life to serve you as president. And although my intention had been to seek re-election, I believe that the best for my party and the country is to withdraw from the electoral race and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term. Throughout the next week, I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision", the statement says.
In another tweet, Biden has made it clear who he wants to replace him: "Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party. Democrats: it's time to unite and defeat Trump. Let's do it." Although it is not clear at the moment what will happen, whether the Democratic Party convention in August will be open, if more candidates will run, or if there will be unity around Harris, who, being already on the ticket, has access to campaign funds. She may not be the most popular, but she is the most nationally known, with all the criticisms that may come with that.
The pressure on Biden, 81 years old, has been intense since his disastrous performance in a televised debate against Donald Trump three weeks ago. The Party, as well as the public opinion, lost faith in him. Biden and his family and inner circle believed he was the best option against the Republican, but gradually they have come to accept reality. The polls on one side, the campaign's income collapse due to donor concerns, and the increasing number of congressmen (almost 30), senators (up to five publicly), and the harassment and criticism from progressive media eventually broke his resistance.
In his message to Americans, Biden highlights that in the last three years, during his term, "the country has made great progress as a nation". The consensus among his supporters is that he has been a great president, but it was impossible for him to win against Trump. He appears weak, vulnerable, erratic, and distracted. While Trump, in his usual style, has absolute control of his party and unwavering support. Additionally, there has been a significant increase in donations, especially from tech billionaires, which in such a long and expensive process, unbalances the process and influences the outcome.