United States President, Joe Biden has stepped down from the presidential race and endorsed his Vice, Kamala Harris to replace him.

President Biden announced this in a letter posted to his official account on X. In a second post, he endorsed Vice President, Kamala Harris to succeed him.

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, 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 the remainder of my term.”

“My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President,” Biden wrote. “And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year.”

Biden says he will speak to the nation later this week in more detail.

Biden’s wold be the first time a US president has dropped out of a reelection run in decades, after President Lyndon Johnson who decided against seeking a second full term in 1968.

It’s also the latest shocking development in a highly charged political campaign that has included an attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life.

Biden’s exit caps off weeks of concern about the 81-year-old President’s stamina and mental capabilities and skepticism of his ability to effectively campaign against former President Donald Trump and govern the country for another four years.

Biden’s decision is also likely to raise questions about his ability to fulfill the duties of the presidency for the remainder of his term.