Biden announces intention to withdraw from race, endorses Harris

WASHINGTON, July 22 (Xinhua) — U.S. President Joe Biden announced Sunday his intention to withdraw from the presidential race, after a growing number of Democrats expressed concerns about his viability in the election following a disastrous debate performance late last month.

“While I intend to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and country for me to step aside and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term,” Biden said in a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

He said he would speak to the nation later this week in more detail about his decision.

In another message, Biden said he wanted to offer his full support and endorsement to Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic Party’s nominee this year.