PRESIDENT of the United States (US) and Democratic candidate for the November 2024 election, Joe Biden, has stepped down from the race, days after testing positive for COVID-19.

He made this known in an official statement he released on Sunday, July 21, via his official X account.

Biden stated that he believed it was in the best interest of both the party and the country for him to step down.

“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 my term,” he stated.

This is coming after he disclosed in an interview that he might reconsider his decision to remain in the race if he got diagnosed with any medical condition.

The ICIR reports that Biden had temporarily suspended his campaign ahead of the election after testing positive for coronavirus. According to the White House Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, the President had been vaccinated and had mild symptoms of the disease.

Jean-Pierre noted that the President presented with upper respiratory symptoms, including rhinorrhea (runny nose) and a nonproductive cough, with general malaise, adding that he would be returning to Delaware where he would self-isolate and would continue to carry out his duties fully.

The President has also faced increasing pressure from the Democrats to step down from the presidential race after his poor performance at the debate with his opponent, Donald Trump of the Republican party, in June.

Biden’s withdrawal from the race also came exactly a week after an attempted assassination of Trump.

Both Biden and Trump were seeking re-election for the second and final term of four years as President of the US.