▲ This file photo, released by Reuters, shows U.S. President Joe Biden delivering an address to the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on July 14, 2024. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) Biden-withdrawal

(LEAD) Biden bows out of presidential race amid dogged questions over mental, physical fitness

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout)

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, July 21 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race on Sunday as a growing number of Democratic lawmakers, donors and voters heaped pressure on the octogenarian to stop his campaign following his woeful debate performance last month.

In a social media post, Biden, 81, called Vice President Kamala Harris an "extraordinary" partner, endorsing her to become the Democratic Party's nominee to face former President Donald Trump, the Republican flag-bearer, in the Nov. 5 presidential election.

"It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

"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 focus entirely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term."

Biden officially expressed his support for Harris.

"I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work," he said.

His exit from the race came amid unrelenting pressure on him to step aside following the June 27 presidential debate where he lost his train of thought, misspoke and failed to articulate his views on certain issues while Trump ramped up his criticism of Biden's policy.

Soon after Biden's announcement, Trump told CNN that he thinks Harris will be easier to defeat than Biden would have been. He also criticized Biden as one that goes "down as the single worst president by far in the history of our country."

In a post on Truth Social, Trump continued his criticism against Biden, saying the incumbent president is "not fit to run for president" and "not fit to serve."

"He only attained the position of president by lies, fake news, and not leaving his basement," he wrote. "All those around him, including his doctor and the media, knew that he wasn't capable of being president, and he wasn't."

Biden has been self-isolating due to COVID-19 infection -- a pause that came at a time when questions have persisted over whether he is mentally and physically strong enough to effectively lead the country for another four-year term.

Just days ago, Trump was officially nominated as the GOP nominee for the presidential election at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in the battleground state of Wisconsin.

At the convention, his supporters cast him as a "resilient" leader as he has survived an assassination attempt during a recent campaign rally in Pennsylvania. The GOP event underscored his stable political footing despite his conviction in a high-profile hush-money trial in May.

Following last month's halting debate performance, Biden had been trying to squelch concerns about his age through interviews, a press conference and other opportunities. But the efforts failed to quell calls from Democratic leaders and others to drop out.

Some party members not only questioned the viability of Biden's candidacy but also voiced concerns over the possibility of its impact on down-ballot races.

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