Key Points
- Joe Biden, 81, says he will serve out the remainder of his term after dropping out of the US presidential race.
- He endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris to replace him as the Democratic candidate against Donald Trump.
- Trump, now officially the Republican nominee, has said Harris would be easier than Biden to beat in the election.
US President Joe Biden has withdrawn from the presidental race following weeks of pressure from inside the Democratic party.
The 81-year-old said he will remain as president until his term ends next January, adding his withdrawal from November's election was "in the best interest of my party and the country".
Biden endorsed Kamala Harris, his vice-president, to be the party nominee. She said "my intention is to earn and win this nomination".
Who will take on Donald Trump?
It is unclear whether other senior Democrats would challenge Harris for the party's nomination — she was widely seen as the pick for many party officials — or whether the party itself would choose to open the field for nominations.
Governor Gavin Newsom of California, who had been mentioned as a possible replacement for Biden at the top of the ticket, threw his support behind Harris.
"With our democracy at stake and our future on the line, no one is better to prosecute the case against Donald Trump's dark vision and guide our country in a healthier direction than America’s Vice President, @KamalaHarris," Newsom wrote on X.
Two other potential challengers, Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Governor Andy Beshear of Kentucky, issued statements praising Biden but did not mention the vice president.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Sunday issued statements backing Harris' bid. Both are among a handful of Democrats seen as potential vice presidential material.
Other prominent Democrats — including senators Elizabeth Warren and Kirsten Gillibrand, as well as congressional representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Adam Schiff — have also backed Harris since Biden stood down.
Why did Joe Biden change his mind about standing?
Biden had a change of heart on Sunday, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters news agency.
The president told allies that as of Saturday night he planned to stay in the race before changing his mind on Sunday afternoon.
"Last night the message was proceed with everything, full speed ahead," a source familiar with the matter told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"At around 1.45pm today: the president told his senior team that he had changed his mind."
Gaffes and pressure: The recent history of Biden's campaign
Biden's announcement follows a wave of public and private pressure from Democratic politicians and party officials to quit the race after against Republican rival Trump, 78.
Days later he raised fresh concerns in an interview, , and saying he would be fine losing to Trump if he knew he'd "gave it my all".
His - invoking Russian President Vladimir Putin's name when he meant Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and calling Harris "Vice President Trump" — further stoked anxieties.
Only four days before Sunday's announcement, , forcing him to cut short a campaign trip to Las Vegas.
How will a Joe Biden's replacement be chosen?
There could be a free-for-all of sorts between the Democratic heavyweights vying for the job.
According to Ballotpedia, there are expected to be some 4,672 delegates in 2024, including 3,933 pledged delegates and 739 so-called superdelegates — senior party members.
In order to secure the nomination, a candidate would need to get a majority — that is, more votes than all the others combined.
If no-one achieves that, then there would be a "brokered convention" in which the delegates act as free agents and negotiate with the party leadership.
Rules would be established and there would be roll call votes for names placed into nomination.
It could take several rounds of voting for someone to get a majority and become the nominee. The last brokered convention when Democrats failed to nominate a candidate on the first ballot was in 1952.
What happens to Biden's campaign cash?
The Biden-Harris campaign had $91 million in the bank at the end of May, but experts on campaign finance law disagree on how readily the money could change hands.
Because Harris is also on the campaign filing documents, many experts believe the money could be transferred over to her if she is on the ticket. But there is some debate about whether Biden would need to be officially nominated first as the party's candidate before a transfer could be made.
What have world leaders said about Biden's decision?
World leaders have , with many expressing gratitude to the president and acknowledging the difficulty of his decision.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese posted a message on X thanking Biden for his "leadership and ongoing service".
"The Australia-US alliance has never been stronger with our shared commitment to democratic values, international security, economic prosperity and climate action for this and future generations," he said.
Newly-elected UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has commented on X, saying that he respects Biden's decision and looks forward to working with him for the remainder of his presidency.
"I know that, as he has done throughout his remarkable career, he will have made his decision based on what he believes is best for the American people," Starmer said.
