Biden drops out of 2024 presidential race

Joe Biden has withdrawn from the 2024 presidential race.

In a development that sends the contest into uncharted territory, the US president announced he will no longer be seeking a second term.

He has thrown his support behind Kamala Harris, urging Democrats to donate to her campaign as he pulled out.

In a letter addressed to "my fellow Americans", Biden said it had been the "greatest honour of my life to serve as your president".

"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 the remainder of my term," he said.

He endorsed Harris as the Democratic nominee and, referring to his Republican rival, he added: "Democrats - it's time to come together and beat Trump."

Biden made the announcement in a statement posted on X, in which he said he would address America later this week to provide "detail" about his decision.

"For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me re-elected," he said.

"I want to thank vice president Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me. I believe today what I always have: that there is nothing America can't do - when we do it together. We just have to remember we are the United States of America,” he said.

Biden plans to serve out the remainder of his term in office, which ends at noon on 20 January 2025.

But questions are already being asked about whether he should stand down from the presidency as well as withdrawing from the re-election race.

The Republican House of Representatives speaker Mike Johnson has called on him to resign, saying "if Joe Biden is not fit to run for president, he is not fit to serve as president".