• USA POLITICAL ELECTION

Washington, Jul 21 (EFE).- By Paula Escalada Medrano

After several tough weeks with increasing criticism over the suitability of his candidacy, United States President Joe Biden decided on Sunday to withdraw from the re-election race for the interest of the Democratic Party and the US and gave his support to Vice President Kamala Harris, who confirmed her intention to “earn and win” the nomination for the Nov. 5 election.

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek re-election, 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,” said Biden in a letter posted on social media.

A few minutes later, Harris accepted the responsibility, stating that she intends to “earn and win” the Democratic nomination for president of the US.

Biden finally gave in to the pressures from his party after his performance in the first debate of the race for the White House against Donald Trump held on Jun. 27, where he appeared disoriented at times, a situation that fueled the controversy over his advanced age.

Although Biden remained firm and appeared confident and capable of regaining lost confidence after the debate, he had already acknowledged to close associates over recent days that he needed to reflect.

Full support for Kamala Harris

“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,” said the president, who detailed that he will address the nation in the coming days.

“For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me re-elected” and “to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me,” he added.

Minutes after showing his support for Harris, the vice president published a message of thanks and confirmed that she wants to be chosen by the Democratic Party to face Republican Donald Trump in November.

“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” she said.

Harris has already garnered the support of several party figures, including the couple formed by former President Bill Clinton (1993-2001) and former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, but others, including former President Barack Obama, did not mention their support for the vice president.

“We are honored to join the President in endorsing Vice President Harris and will do whatever we can to support her,” the Clintons said in a letter published on their social media.

Trump: “Biden was not fit to run for President”

“Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve – And never was!” said Trump through the social network Truth Social.

The former US president accused Biden of having obtained the office “through lies” and stated that everyone around him, including the media, knew he was not capable of being president.

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance went further, joining other Republicans in calling for Biden to resign from the White House immediately, saying that if he is not capable of campaigning, he should not be trusted to continue leading the country.

What’s next?

With just over three months to go before the election, the Democratic Party faces the abyss of having to choose a candidate to replace Biden at a time when Trump is experiencing a moment of high popularity following the Jul. 13 assassination attempt.

This is the first time a president has withdrawn this late in the electoral process and also the first time it has happened after securing the majority of delegates in the primary process.

According to the rules of the Democratic National Committee, which is in charge of organizing the Democratic convention scheduled for August 19-22 in Chicago, an emergency meeting will be held after Biden’s announcement to determine the replacement process.

Biden will have significant influence in determining his successor, as he currently controls 3,908 of the 3,939 delegates.

The US president has the power to release his delegates to vote freely for potential candidates, who must receive the support of at least 1,976. EFE

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