The president of the United States, Joe Biden, announced that he is withdrawing from the race for reelection, amid continued pressure after his performance in last month's debate, and questioning within his party about whether he should continue in the race for the highest office in the White House.
According to CNN, the news transcended through a letter he published on his Twitter account, where he assured that he will serve out the remainder of his term.
"And while it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country that I step down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term," wrote the U.S. president.
He also added that he will speak to the nation later this week in more detail about his decision, according to CNN.
Russia Today adds that the current president emphasized that in the last three and a half years the American power has achieved great progress as a nation, becoming the strongest economy in the world.
Biden also reviewed other achievements of his term, including the appointment of the first African-American woman to the Supreme Court, as well as the passage of the "most important climate legislation in history" and the first gun safety law in 30 years.
"Together we have overcome a once-in-a-century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We have protected and preserved our democracy. And we have revitalized and strengthened our alliances around the world," Biden wrote.
The White House tenant said in his message that holding the office of U.S. president has been "the greatest honor" of his life.
He also expressed his gratitude to the people who worked with him to run for re-election and thanked his vice president Kamala Harris "for being an extraordinary collaborator." "I believe today what I have always believed: that there is nothing America can't do when we do it together. We just have to remember that we are the United States of America," he stressed.
The announcement comes after the president himself insisted on several occasions that he did not plan to decline his candidacy. "Look, if the Lord Almighty came down and said, 'Joe, get out of the race,' I would get out of the race, but the Lord Almighty is not going to come down," he said in early July, RT noted.
Shortly thereafter, Biden indicated that the only circumstance for which he would drop out of the campaign for his second term this year would be health problems, and even once assured that he would participate in the elections "unless he gets hit by a train."
On July 17, Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 and canceled his scheduled participation in the annual UnidosUS conference in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
Faced with an avalanche of appeals, including from his close political allies such as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, among others, Biden finally relented.
According to RT, the first presidential debate, held at the end of June, was described by many as a failure for Biden, the longest-serving U.S. president in office. Throughout the event, the 81-year-old politician stumbled several times while speaking and froze for a few moments, staring into the void, adding to rumors of mental health problems he may be suffering from. In addition, people who followed the event online noticed that he barely blinked.
After the debate, several media reported about Biden's possible withdrawal from the electoral race, but the White House spokeswoman, Karine Jean-Pierre, denied this information, which caused uncertainty about the electoral future of the White House tenant, concluded the RT report.
