In a bombshell statement, President Joe Biden has withdrawn from the 2024 Presidential election.
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With the POTUS announcing that he will no longer be seeking a second term, this throws the nation into uncharted territory, with the 2024 election less than four months away.
Biden, 81, made the revelation in a statement shared to his social media accounts.
He announced that while serving as the President of the United States has been the "greatest honor" of his life, he now sees that he needs to step aside.
"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 the duties as President for the remainder of my term," he wrote.
The development - which comes just days after the President shared his positive diagnosis for Covid - means that another Democrat will now need to be selected by the party to face off against Republican nominee Donald Trump.
Biden's shocking announcement on Sunday also comes after he faced weeks of criticicism regarding his ability to continue as the POTUS following his performance in the debate against Trump last month.
Biden had attempted to blame his performance on his hectic schedule, saying at a private fundraiser: "I decided to travel around the world a couple of times... shortly before the debate... I didn’t listen to my staff... and then I almost fell asleep on stage."
But others have not been convinced.
According to BBC News, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are both reported to have met Biden individually to express concerns.
Top stars, such as George Clooney, also openly called for Biden to stand down and withdraw from the race for the White House.
Writing in an op-ed for the New York Times, the actor said: "I love Joe Biden. As a senator. As a vice president and as president. I consider him a friend, and I believe in him. Believe in his character. Believe in his morals. In the last four years, he’s won many of the battles he’s faced.
"But the one battle he cannot win is the fight against time."
Nevertheless, Biden had remained steadfast on running, saying just days ago that he was looking forward to "getting back on the campaign trail next week" as soon as he'd recovered from his bout of Covid.
"The stakes are high, and the choice is clear. Together, we will win," Biden said on Friday, per BBC News.
