Joe Biden finally gives up his candidacy for the American presidential election

UNITED STATES – Increasingly pressured within his own camp to withdraw his candidacy for the presidential election on November 5, Joe Biden finally did so this Sunday, July 21. His announcement took the form of a long statement published on his social networks, in which he announced his withdrawal “in the interest of the country”.

“I believe it is in the interest of my party and the country that I step down and focus solely on carrying out my duties as president until the end of my term.”the 81-year-old Democrat said, announcing he would address the nation “later this week”.

Facing him in the presidential race, Donald Trump did not miss the opportunity to criticize his rival. “Joe the crook was not fit to be a candidate and he is certainly not fit to hold office.”the Republican candidate, fresh from his success at the Republican convention, said on his Truth Social network.

Joe Biden thus joins the very small club of outgoing American presidents who have thrown in the towel while running for a second term. But he is the first to do so so late in the campaign. The only one, too, to have to drop out due to questions about his mental acuity.

This shock announcement, even if it was expected despite the repeated denials of the main person concerned, disrupts a campaign which has already experienced many twists and turns, the first of which was the assassination attempt against Donald Trump on July 13.

Now, a replacement must be found for Joe Biden, who was supposed to be inaugurated at his party’s convention in mid-August in Chicago. His vice-president Kamala Harris would be a natural, but not automatic, choice to become the Democratic nominee. Shortly after her withdrawal announcement on Sunday, Joe Biden declared his support for her candidacy, as did former President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton. “Today, I want to offer my full support and endorsement to Kamala to be our party’s candidate this year.”wrote Joe Biden on X.

Kamala Harris wants “win the nomination”

Kamala Harris, who praises the“selfless and patriotic act” Joe Biden’s account now counts “win the nomination” democrat and « beat Trump »she said in a statement.

The final word now rests with the Democratic Party delegates, 3,900 people with a wide variety of backgrounds and most of them completely unknown to the general public. The process of selecting the candidate who will replace Joe Biden will be “transparent and disciplined”assured the leader of the Democratic Party, Jaime Harrison.

Joe Biden’s announcement sparked many reactions in his camp, starting with former Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi who hailed him as “one of the most important presidents in American history”.

“I know he wouldn’t make this decision if he wasn’t convinced it was the right decision for America.”Barack Obama wrote to him in a statement. “We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that our party leaders will be able to create a process that will allow an exceptional candidate to emerge.”he said, without mentioning Kamala Harris by name.

“His decision was obviously not an easy one to make, but he once again put his country, his party and our future first.”stressed the leader of the Democrats in the Senate, Chuck Schumer. “Joe, this day shows that you are a great patriot.”

Calamitous debate and Covid-19

On the Republican side, the tone is very different. “If Joe Biden is not fit to run for president, he is not fit to be president. He must resign immediately.”thundered the Republican leader of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson.

It was Joe Biden’s disastrous performance in his June 27 debate with Donald Trump that precipitated events. That day, in the first seconds of the verbal joust that he himself had called for, it was a very weakened Biden who appeared before the screens of his dismayed supporters.

With a cat in his throat forcing him to cough often, he got tangled up more than once, sometimes not managing to finish his sentences. A painful spectacle that brought to light the doubts about his age, on which his relatives had tried to keep a lid.

Who was going to be the first to draw his gun and ask him to stop there? The little music quickly rose, starting from relatively unknown Democratic elected officials to reach heavyweights of the party. One after another, big names, frightened by the polls showing him as the loser and fearing a crushing victory for Donald Trump, dropped him, most of them at first in private.

The US media, citing anonymous sources, claimed that former President Barack Obama, former Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and Democratic leaders in Congress Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries had expressed their concern.

And the images of Joe Biden, who tested positive for Covid-19 and struggled to get down the gangway of his plane, only served to increase the nervousness of his camp.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump, who miraculously escaped gunfire during a campaign rally, seemed to be enjoying a state of grace, with legal victories and a consecration at the Republican Party convention in Milwaukee.