On July 21, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the presidential election.
Points of attention
- Biden began to realize that the fight for the presidency was over for him while he was at his home on the coast and being treated for the coronavirus.
- After consulting with his aides, he made the decision to withdraw from the election and show his support for Kamala Harris.
- Bill and Hillary Clinton supported the candidacy of Kamala Harris in the race for the presidency.
- Kamala Harris began calling Democrats to drum up support for her candidacy, gaining the support of all 50 heads of the Democratic Party.
- Biden called on Democrats to unite around Kamala Harris in order to win the election and focus only on fulfilling their duties.
Why and how Biden decided to withdraw his candidacy
Politico writes that he made the relevant decision the day before — on Saturday, July 20. As journalists learned, while staying at his house on the coast and being treated for the coronavirus, Biden began to realize that the fight for the presidential seat was over for him.
People familiar with the matter said the politician had been consulting with senior aides in recent days to determine a path to victory in the election.
The president has insisted for weeks that he remains the best candidate to defeat Donald Trump, even as evidence mounts that his support among Democratic lawmakers and voters is steadily deteriorating.
Biden wanted to prove those who underestimated him wrong with his election victory. However, on Saturday evening, he announced to close aides that he was ready to leave the fight. During the discussion, his advisers Mike Donilon and Steve Ricchetti, deputy chief of staff Annie Tomasini and Anthony Bernal, senior adviser to the first lady Jill Biden were present.
The next day, he called and informed Vice President Kamala Harris, campaign chairman Jeff Zients and campaign chairman Jen O'Malley Dillon of his decision. In addition, he held a telephone conversation with other senior advisers in the White House.
Elections in the USA
Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race and said he wanted to focus only on fulfilling his duties. He later called on Democrats to rally around Kamala Harris to defeat Donald Trump.
Former US President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton supported the candidacy of Vice President Kamala Harris.
CNN wrote that Harris began calling Democrats to enlist support for her candidacy. All 50 heads of the Democratic Party supported the nomination of Harris as the new presidential candidate.
