US President Joe Biden has dropped out of the 2024 presidential race in an announcement made on July 21, evening.
In a letter posted on his X handle the US President declared that he will not seek re-election, stating that this decision is "in the best interest of my party and the country."
This announcement comes just four months before the presidential election, significantly altering the dynamics of the race for the White House.
The decision follows intense pressure from fellow Democrats, especially after a challenging debate against Republican Donald Trump at the end of June.
In the letter, Biden expressed that serving as president has been the greatest honour of his life.
He wrote, "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 the duties as President for the remainder of my term".
Biden said he would give a comprehensive statement about his decision to drop out to the nation later in the week. He, however, expressed his gratitude to all those who supported his re-election bid.
"I want to thank Vice President Kamala Haris for being an extra-ordinary partner in all this work and let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me," Biden said.
Biden must resign now, says House Speaker
Reaction continues to flood in - including from House Speaker, Mike Johnson.
"If Joe Biden is not fit to run for president, he is not fit to serve as president," the Republican writes on X.
"He must resign the office immediately," Johnson adds, going on to say that polling day in the US election, 5 November, "cannot arrive soon enough"
Democrat officials hold emergency meeting
An emergency meeting of senior Democratic National Committee (DNC) officials is under way right now, our US partner CBS reports.
