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Biden drops out of the presidential race and endorses Harris

President Joe Biden speaks at a news conference on the final day of the NATO summit in Washington, July 11, 2024.
Jacquelyn Martin/Associated Press
President Joe Biden speaks at a news conference on the final day of the NATO summit in Washington, July 11, 2024.

President Joe Biden announced he will not seek reelection and will drop out of the 2024 presidential race.

In a signed letter posted to his official account on X, he said that he will speak to the nation “later this week in more detail” about his decision. Initially the letter did not announce a successor, but in a subsequent tweet, he said he will endorse Vice President Kamala Harris to be the party's nominee.

“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 my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” the letter reads.

In the letter, Biden thanked those who have worked hard to see him reelected and thanked Vice President Kamala Harris for “being an extraordinary partner in all this work”.

The decision comes after Biden has been sidelined from the campaign trail after testing positive for COVID, as many Democracts continued to openly discuss whether he should drop out of the race or seek reelection for a second term.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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Farah Yousry covers health equity for Side Effects Public Media, in partnership with the Indianapolis Recorder. She focuses on healthcare disparities in minority communities across the Midwest. Before moving to the U.S., she worked as a journalist for local news organizations in Egypt during the Arab Spring and the contentious political period following the Egyptian revolution. She has worked with the BBC World Service for over five years, producing radio, television and digital features for an audience in the tens of millions across Europe and the Middle East. Farah speaks Arabic, English and Mandarin Chinese.