Biden drops out of the presidential race
After weeks of speculation about his possible withdrawal, the president announced he will not seek reelection.
President Joe Biden announced that he has dropped out of the presidential race. What began as a rumor gained momentum over the past few months, until it became official with the president's announcement this Sunday.
Doubts about his shaky reelection campaign snowballed after the president's disastrous performance in the first presidential debate, which led many to question the physical and mental state of the 81-year-old politician.
Biden, however, was reluctant to concede. His team organized a tour of closed-door meetings with members of Congress, donors and delegates to reassure the party about his spot on the November ballot.
Despite this, increasingly prominent Democratic Party figures, such as Rep. Adam Schiff, joined public calls for the party to choose a new nominee. Others, such as Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, reportedly asked Biden privately to drop out of the race. Barack Obama, according to reports, also said his one-time vice president should reconsider the viability of his candidacy.