Biden ends failing reelection campaign, backs Harris as nominee

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks as President Joe Biden looks on during an event to mark the passage of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, in the East Room of the White House, June 17, 2021, in Washington. Joe Biden on July 21, 2024 dropped out of the US presidential election and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party's new nominee, in a stunning move that upends an already extraordinary 2024 race for the White House. Biden, 81, said he was acting in the "best interest of my party and the country" by bowing to weeks of pressure after a disastrous June debate against Donald Trump stoked worries about his age and mental fitness. -AFP filepic

REHOBOTH BEACH, Delaware: U.S. President Joe Biden abandoned his floundering reelection bid on Sunday under growing pressure from his fellow Democrats and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him as the party's candidate to face Republican Donald Trump in the November election.

Biden, who at 81 is the oldest person ever to have occupied the Oval Office, said he will remain in his role as president until his term ends on Jan. 20, 2025, and will address the nation this week. He has not been seen in public since testing positive for COVID-19 last week and is isolating at his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.