US President Joe Biden has officially stepped aside as the Democratic presidential candidate.
The announcement was made today, with Biden sharing the news via X:
"It has been the greatest honour 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."
There had been reports that Biden was thinking "very seriously" about the calls to step aside, and that while isolating with COVID-19 he was doing some "soul searching". It comes after former US President Barack Obama and former House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi both reportedly shared their concerns with Biden in private.
Biden, 81, had faced increasing pressure from heavyweights in his party to cede his position at the top of the ticket after a shoddy debate performance against former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee. His performance had raised fears about his age and ability to win in November.
Watch: the Presidential debate highlights between Trump and Biden. Post continues below.
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