Incumbent US president Joe Biden has bowed to intense pressure from within the Democratic party and quit his bid to seek reelection, according to multiple media outlets.
The frail and ageing president has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to run for the top office in his place and says he will make an address to Americans this week. Harris said she would “earn and win” the Democratic nomination and do everything in her power to “unite our nation” and defeat Republican nominee Donald Trump.
Biden, 81, will now see out the remaining six months of his term of office.
[See more: Biden is not being treated for Parkinson’s, says White House]
His decision to drop out of the race caps several weeks of intense debate about his cognitive ability and fitness for office after his shocking performance during a televised debate against Trump last month and several subsequent gaffes.
During the debate, Biden rambled, lapsed into incoherence at times, and frequently gazed into space with his mouth agape.
Despite Biden’s nomination, it is unclear if Harris will in fact replace him on the campaign trail. Governor Gavin Newsom of California and transport secretary Pete Buttigieg are among many other names mentioned as possible Democratic candidates.
