Joe Biden has pulled out of the presidential race, saying it is “in the best interest of my party and the country”.
It comes after months of speculation about his age and fitness to serve another four years – amid a series of high-profile gaffes and a disastrous debate performance.
In a development that sends the contest into uncharted territory, the US president announced he will no longer be seeking a second term.
He has thrown his support behind Kamala Harris, urging Democrats to donate to her campaign as he pulled out.
In a letter addressed to “my fellow Americans”, Mr Biden said it had been the “greatest honour of my life to serve as your president”.
“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,” he said.
He endorsed Ms Harris as the Democratic nominee and, referring to his Republican rival, he added: “Democrats – it’s time to come together and beat Trump.”
Mr Biden made the announcement in a statement posted on X, in which he said he would address the nation later this week to provide “detail” about his decision.
“For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me re-elected,” he said.
“I want to thank vice president Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me.
“I believe today what I always have: that there is nothing America can’t do – when we do it together. We just have to remember we are the United States of America.”
First Lady Jill Biden, whose loyalty to her husband has been unswerving, responded by sharing his statement on X with a simple heart emoji.
Ms Harris, who many are touting as the frontrunner to replace Mr Biden, said she was “honoured” to have the president’s endorsement, adding “my intention is to earn and win this nomination”.
She thanked Mr Biden for his “extraordinary leadership” and for making a “selfless and patriotic act” by stepping aside.
She said: “I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party – and unite our nation – to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda.
“We have 107 days until Election Day. Together, we will fight. And together, we will win.”
Biden dropped out of the 2024 race for the White House on Sunday, ending his bid for reelection following a disastrous debate with Donald Trump that raised doubts about his fitness for office just four months before the election.
The final days of Joe Biden’s presidential campaign
Mr Biden plans to serve out the remainder of his term in office, which ends at noon on 20 January 2025.
But questions are already being asked about whether he should stand down from the presidency as well as withdrawing from the re-election race.
The Republican House of Representatives speaker Mike Johnson has called on him to resign, saying “if Joe Biden is not fit to run for president, he is not fit to serve as president”.
The seismic development comes after months of speculation about Mr Biden’s age and fitness to serve another four years – amid a series of high-profile gaffes and a disastrous debate performance.
Democrats described his debate with Mr Trump as an “unmitigated disaster” and “a slow motion car crash” after he appeared incoherent, stumbling over his words and freezing.
Mr Biden, 81, had previously insisted he was best placed to defeat Mr Trump in the upcoming election but had faced calls from within his own party to step aside.
By Sky News