Biden to Drop Out of 2024 Presidential Race

Facing Reckoning Over Age and Ability, President Decides to End Five-Decade Career in Politics

CBS News | July 21, 2024 2:20 PM EDT

WASHINGTON -- President Biden has decided to drop out of the presidential race, he announced Sunday, upending the political landscape and leaving the Democratic Party scrambling to find a new nominee.

The president's decision comes after weeks of speculation about his fitness for office and his ability to defeat former President Donald Trump in a rematch. Biden, 80, would have been the oldest person ever elected president if he had won in 2024.

In a statement released by the White House, Biden said he had "come to the conclusion that I am not the best candidate to lead our country at this moment in our history." He added that he believes it is "time for a new generation of leaders to take the reins of government."