US President Joe Biden has endorsed his Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him as the Democratic nominee in this year’s high-stakes election.
In a statement posted on the social media site X, Biden described choosing the former California attorney general to be his second-in-command as ‘the best decision I’ve ever made’.
He made the announcement just minutes after revealing he would be stepping down as the party’s presumptive nominee after weeks of pressure from his friends and allies.
The endorsement sets up 59-year-old Harris to take on Donald Trump – the Republican Party’s nominee for the third election in a row – in November.
If she wins, she would become the first woman and first Asian-American to become US President.
Biden’s full statement said: ‘My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on 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.
‘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. Democrats – it’s time to come together and beat Trump.
‘Let’s do this.’
Some figures within the Democratic Party have suggested they would prefer an open contest to decide the nominee, rather than a coronation of Harris.
The New York Times reported on Friday that Nancy Pelosi, the influential former speaker of the House of Representatives, had told colleagues she would be more favorable to a ‘competitive’ process.
Among the other potential candidates are Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, California governor Gavin Newsom and Arizona senator – and former astronaut -Mark Kelly.
But Biden’s urging for his party to ‘come together and beat Trump’ may prompt senior figures to avoid a potentially messy process and get behind Harris.
His endorsement also set off a cascade of support for the vice president from Democrat heavy-hitters including Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Recently, the Trump campaign has stepped up its efforts to attack Harris in the expectation that she would take over as nominee from the president if he dropped out of the race.
The 78-year-old former president said he would mention Joe Biden only once by name in his speech to the Republican National Convention – an indication that he did not want to expend effort attacking a man who was unlikely to be his opponent in November.
Democratic strategist Theryn Bond told Sky News in June she did not believe Harris could deliver a victory for the Democrats because the US was ‘not ready’ for a Black woman to be president.
She said: ‘Unfortunately as much as I want the US to be ready for Black woman to be president, they are not ready.
‘This country is not ready. This country is too divisive, unfortunately, we’re just not there. I don’t think she would be the one to take the Democratic Party to victory.’
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