WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — President Joe Biden, facing mounting pressure from fellow Democrats to step aside as the party’s presumptive nominee, announced Sunday that will not seek reelection in November against former President Donald Trump.
Biden announced the decision to withdraw after his campaign struggled to regain support from the party following his performance in the first presidential debate June 27.
Donors and Democratic lawmakers began privately expressing fears about the president’s ability to win reelection in November immediately after the debate.
Those calls became more public as donors threatened to withdraw funding and an increasing number of Democrats publicly called on Biden to step aside and pass the torch to another generation of leaders.
While Democratic leaders publicly expressed support for Biden, reports indicated they were increasingly privately urging the president to consider backing out. Those reported to be putting pressure on the president included Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.; former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.; and former President Barack Obama.
The president’s efforts to rally his party and voters faltered as he experienced verbal gaffes in critical interviews. However, he continued to reiterate his commitment to staying in the race, saying that polls showed he could beat Trump.
Following an assassination attempt on Trump at a Pennsylvania rally July 13, the Biden-Harris campaign pulled advertising, and the president addressed the country with a firm condemnation of political violence.
Biden’s campaign suffered another setback when he was diagnosed with COVID-19 on July 17, forcing him to cancel campaign events and self-isolate in Delaware.
