US President Joe Biden is no longer running to be re-elected to the White House.
The 81-year-old announced on Sunday that he's standing down from the 2024 presidential election race.
Pressure had been mounting on him to pull out, after a poor performance in a TV debate last month.
However, he's insisting he will serve out the remainder of his term as president, which ends on the 20th of January next year.
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… pic.twitter.com/x8DnvuImJV
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024
President Biden has endorsed his Vice President, Kamala Harris, to replace him as the Democratic party nominee.
Former US President Bill Clinton, has also endorsed the current VP, though Barack Obama stopped short. Pete Buttigieg, Gavin Newsom, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have also publicly expressed their support for her.
Among the celebrity endorsements for Kamala Harris are, Beyoncé, Ariana Grande, John Legend and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris outside the White House. Image: MediaPunch Inc / Alamy Stock PhotoTaoiseach Simon Harris has paid tribute to President Biden, saying he's been a great supporter of Ireland.
"President Joe Biden is a proud American with an Irish soul.
"He's been a great friend to this country throughout his time in office. No matter what office Joe Biden held, he always worked for and supported peace on the island of Ireland.
"Only in recent weeks, I had an opportunity to speak with president Biden on the phone. We again, talked about Northern Ireland, the presumption of the Northern Ireland Executive".
