Joe Biden Explains His Decision to Exit the 2024 US Presidential Race

Last month, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race, citing growing concerns over his health.

In a significant and unexpected move, U.S. President Joe Biden announced last month that he would not seek re-election in the 2024 presidential race. The decision, made public on July 21 while Biden was recovering from COVID-19 at his Delaware beach house, follows concerns over his health and a notably challenging debate performance against his likely Republican rival, Donald Trump.

Initially, Biden had insisted on staying in the race despite his age, but in a recent interview with CBS, he elaborated on his decision to step aside. The 81-year-old President referred to himself as a “transition president,” a role he had embraced when he first ran for office. Reflecting on his age, Biden admitted, “I can’t even say how old I am – it’s hard for me to get it out of my mouth.”

Biden emphasized the critical importance of defeating Trump in the upcoming election, stating, “Although it’s a great honour to be a president, I think I have an obligation to the country to do what I — most important thing you can do. And that is — we must, we must, we must defeat Trump.”

In his exit announcement, Biden endorsed his Vice President, Kamala Harris, as the Democratic nominee. Harris is expected to be officially named the Democratic candidate at the party’s national convention in Chicago later this month.

When questioned about his confidence in a peaceful transfer of power in January 2025, Biden expressed serious concerns. He pointed to Trump’s past rhetoric, including warnings of a “bloodbath” and claims of a “stolen election,” and stated bluntly, “If Trump loses, I’m not confident at all. He means what he says. We don’t take him seriously.” Biden’s parting message underscored his belief that true patriotism requires accepting electoral outcomes: “You can’t love your country only when you win.”