On Sunday July 21, Joe Biden, the current President of the United States and Democratic candidate for re-election, announced his withdrawal from the race for the White House, just a few months before the elections scheduled for November 5. This decision marks a major turning point in the American presidential campaign, already shaken by an assassination attempt against Donald Trump on July 13

In a statement published on the social network X (formerly Twitter), Biden expressed his conviction that his withdrawal was in the best interests of his party and himself, in order to concentrate fully on his presidential duties until the end of his term. He also announced that he will speak this week to provide further details on his decision.

The announcement comes amid growing criticism of 81-year-old Biden’s age and ability to continue in office for a second term. Initial reservations about his slips of the tongue became more serious after a disastrous debate with Donald Trump, in which Biden showed clear signs of difficulty in expressing himself clearly to his opponent.

In recent weeks, calls for Biden to withdraw his candidacy have multiplied, coming from representatives, senators and even celebrities such as George Clooney and the New York Times editorial board. Democratic Party stalwarts Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer have also voiced their concerns, fearing that a Biden defeat could lead to a “red wave” in Congress in November.

Despite his assurances earlier this month that he would only step down if “the Lord Almighty” demanded it, the situation has taken a dramatic turn. On July 11, Biden made a notorious gaffe by calling Volodymyr Zelensky “President Putin” at a NATO summit, followed by another error by confusing his vice-president with Trump at a press conference.

The acceleration of events was marked by the assassination attempt on Donald Trump on July 13, followed by a Covid-19 infection for Biden, while the latter was in solitary confinement. In an interview broadcast shortly before the suspension of his campaign, Biden spoke of the possibility of reassessing his candidacy in the event of a medical problem.

A July 17 poll showed that nearly two-thirds of Democratic voters wanted Biden to withdraw in favor of another candidate. Meanwhile, Donald Trump was officially nominated as the Republican candidate on July 15 and chose Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate.