Live Updates: President Joe Biden Pulls Out of 2024 Election Race, Endorses Kamala Harris

President Joe Biden will no longer run for reelection, he announced on Sunday, July 21, after mounting pressure and speculation over his fitness to serve for four more years.

Biden announced his choice in a lengthy letter which he addressed to "my fellow Americans."

The stunning decision comes just months before the November 2024 election, and follows the assassination attempt against his Republican foe, Donald Trump. Days later, Biden pulled out of a speaking commitment after he tested positive for COVID-19 on July 17. Biden, 81, had previously said that he'd drop out of the election should a medical emergency emerge.

A new Democratic candidate has not yet been identified. In his letter, Biden said he would speak to the nation about his decision in more detail later this week.

Biden formally announced that he would run for reelection on April 25, 2023, promising at the time that Vice President Kamala Harris would remain alongside him on the ticket after their first term together.

His performance at the first 2024 presidential debate was what first heightened voters' doubts about his cognitive health, and quickly sparked the initial calls for a new Democratic candidate.

Keep reading for more information and live updates about what this means for Biden, Harris and the 2024 election.

Dr. Jill Biden Reshares President Biden's Letter with Heart Emojis

Dr. Jill Biden refrained from issuing a lengthy statement on social media immediately after her husband, President Joe Biden, shared news of his plans to end his reelection campaign.

Instead, the first lady shared a double heart emoji alongside a retweet of the president's lengthy letter to Democrats on Sunday.

Biden Endorses Vice President Kamala Harris as Democratic Candidate

On the heels of his announcement that he'll no longer seek reelection, President Joe Biden endorsed his Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic candidate for president.

Biden said on Twitter that he is not running to instead "focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term."

"My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made," said Biden. "Today I -

'It Was Clearly an Accident': 2 ,...

want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this."

Harris has not yet addressed the endorsement.

President Joe Biden Announces His Decision Not to Run for Reelection in Letter to the American People

On Sunday, July 21, President Joe Biden released a letter to the American people, announcing his decision not to run for reelection. Below is his statement in full:Over the past three and a half years, we have made great progress as a Nation.Today, America has the strongest economy in the world. We’ve made historic investments in rebuilding our Nation, in lowering prescription drug costs for seniors, and in expanding affordable health care to a record number of Americans. We’ve provided critically needed care to a million veterans exposed totoxic substances. Passed the first gun safety law in 30 years. Appointed the first African American woman to the Supreme Court. And passed the most significant climate legislation in the history of the world. America has never been better positioned to lead than we are today. I know none of this could have been done without you, the American people. Together, we overcame a once in a century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We’ve and preserved our Democracy. And we've revitalized and strengthened our alliances around the world.It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. 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 my duties as President for the remainder of my term.

I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision.For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me reelected. I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me.I believe today what I always have: that there is nothing America can't do - when we do it together. We just have to remember we are the United States of America.

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