![Joe Biden Official Portrait 2021/cropped (PHOTO CREDIT: Adam Schultz)](https://www.arlingtoncardinal.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/JoeBidenFeatured.jpg)
President Joe Biden announced Sunday, July 21, 2024 on his X account that he is not seeking re-election. Biden said he will speak to the nation later this week to provide more details.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” Biden wrote. “And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, 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.”
Biden’s fitness for re-election, let alone another term of four years, became a sudden critical mass event after the presidential debate with Donald Trump. Even though there were weeks of signs that he wasn’t fit to be president, skepticism regarding the 81-year-old president’s stamina and mental ability suddenly came to the forefront among Democrats.
Initially, Biden did not endorse another Democratic candidate for President, but a short time later endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for President.