Looking back at the life and presidency of Joe Biden
Biden made a surprise announcement on Sunday that he is dropping out of the race
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CELEBRITY Politics
On Sunday, July 21, Biden made the following announcement on Twitter: "My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this." He also released a longer written statement which promised a speech explaining his decision in the coming week.
Biden had been under immense pressure from the Democratic Party to withdraw in recent weeks amid doubts about his mental fitness to serve another term as president. His poor performance at the presidential debate on June 27 sent Democrats into a panic as voters lost further confidence in his abilities and concerns grew about his age and cognitive decline. Regardless, the President wouldn't budge on the issue and continued to campaign.
The 81-year-old revealed that he had tested positive for COVID-19 on July 17 and had returned to his Delaware home to recover. It was from there that he made the surprise announcement regarding his withdrawal a few days later. The Democratic Party seemed to be blindsided by his sudden U-turn but many delegates were quick to come forward and endorse Kamala Harris. There is much speculation about his seemingly sudden change of heart, his health being one topic of interest. Regardless, it now seems that his presidential journey will end after the four years he originally promised.
Joe Biden was first named president on January 20, 2021, after one of the most publicized and nerve-racking presidential elections in US history. He was, of course, no stranger to the public, having served eight years as vice president under Barack Obama.
His presidency has been controversial, particularly due to his unyielding support of Israel and the war on Gaza. But the trials and tribulations of Joe Biden didn't begin in 2021. Click through the following gallery to get a more in-depth understanding of Biden and his life before the White House.
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