US President Joe Biden on Sunday announced his withdrawal from the 2024 Presidential race, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for the November election.
Biden's decision comes amid mounting concerns over his health and growing sentiment within his party that he was destined to lose against Republican nominee Donald Trump. Biden has backed Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him as the Democratic nominee.
Here is a recent timeline of key turning points from Joe Biden's career from the disastrous Presidential debate to his withdrawal from the race:
- March 2024: President Biden clinched the Democratic presidential nomination in March this year winning a majority of the necessary delegates and setting up a rematch with Donald Trump.
- June 27 Debate: Biden's low-energy, muted and garbled performance at the June 27 presidential debate against Donald Trump didn’t live up to expectations. The debate drew criticism from Democratic voters, donors; and former and current aides.
- July 2: Democractic lawmakers started to break ranks, starting with US Representative Lloyd Doggett on July 2.
- July 4: Abigail Disney, granddaughter of Roy O Disney, who co-founded The Walt Disney Co., said she plans to withhold donations to the Democratic Party, which she has funded for years, until Biden drops out. Abigail Disney a longtime supporter of Democrats.
- July 5: Biden refuses to withdraw nomination. In a TV interview with ABC News, he said, "If the Lord Almighty came down and said 'Joe, get out of the race,' I'd get out of the race. The Lord Almighty's not coming down.
- July 17: Representative Adam Schiff, the Democratic candidate for US Senate in California, became the most high-profile elected Democrat to publicly call for Biden's withdrawal from the Presidential race. Former President Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Chunk Shimer and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi also convinced Biden to step down.
- July 18: Biden tested positive for Coronavirus with mild symptoms on Thursday, shortly after conceding he would consider dropping his reelection bid if doctors diagnosed him with a serious medical condition. He had to cut short a trip to Las Vegas and flew to his beach home in Delaware to go into isolation.
- July 21: Joe Biden announces he is dropping out of the Presidential race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democrats’ nominee for the November election.