Could Biden's decision save his legacy - and the election?published at 20:26 British Summer Time 21 July

20:26 BST 21 July

Nomia Iqbal
North America correspondent

This decision is seismic - and could possibly save President Biden’s legacy.

It is too early to know for certain, but there is a chance it will be seen by many as an act of strength.

Will it re-energise voters, especially those who are anti-Trump, and those who will admire Biden for making such a gut-wrenching decision?

Time will tell, but don't forget - the anti-Trump bloc still remain the largest coalition in US politics.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

Image source, Getty Images

I've just arrived at the White House where, despite the dramatic news, the scene is typical of what one might find on any given Sunday.

Large groups of tourists - some American, some international - are milling about outside. Many seem unaware of what has happened.

"Wow," an older Texan man told me in a thick drawl. "I can't believe he actually did it."

A few, however, came immediately as they heard. Directly in front of the White House, a man and woman are both holding hastily drawn placards.

The woman's reads "Thank You Joe", while the man's reads "Bye Joe". He says he won't vote for Trump, but is happy that Biden is ending his campaign.

As I walked away, a bearded man in a camouflage "Trump 2024" hat strolled up to the woman, accusing the Democrats of "ignoring their own voters" by pressing Biden to step down.

"I can say what I want," she snapped back at him. "I'm here to thank him."

There's another line to bring you from Biden's statement a short time ago - which promises more information in the coming days.

He's pledged to address the nation "later this week in more detail about my decision".

It's worth remembering that Biden has been isolating with Covid, and we're yet to see him since he released the statement.

James FitzGerald
Live reporter

Image source, Reuters

In the last 90 minutes, President Joe Biden has announced he's ending his campaign for re-election to the White House.

It follows weeks of pressure from within his party, sparked by a faltering debate performance against Donald Trump in late June.

• He said his decision was "in the best interest of my party and the country" and that it had been the greatest honour of his life to serve as the American president
• Biden said he would see out the remainder of his term in the White House and has endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris to take the top of the ticket as the Democratic candidate for president in the November election
• His political opponents, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have called on him to step down straight away. Biden's rival for president, Donald Trump, says the Democrat is "not fit to serve"
• But Biden has received tributes from prominent figures within his party, such as California Governor Gavin Newsom, and beyond - such as Star Wars actor Mark Hamill, who said he "restored honesty, dignity and integrity" to the White House after Trump

Democrats' script for this election has been thrown out the windowpublished at 20:10 British Summer Time 21 July

20:10 BST 21 July

Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent

Over the past half-century, political conventions have been transformed into somewhat boring affairs.

With every minute carefully scripted for television, they’ve become extended multi-day commercials for the presidential nominee.

Last week’s Republican convention was certainly that way – even with Donald Trump’s overly long, sometimes rambling nomination acceptance speech.

Next month’s Democratic convention in Chicago is shaping up to be very, very different. Whatever script the party and the Biden campaign had been working on just got thrown out the window.

Even if the party falls in line behind Kamala Harris, it will be difficult to plan – and control – how things unfold on the convention floor.

And if Harris doesn’t succeed in uniting the party, the convention could turn into a political free-for-all, with various candidates vying for the nomination before the cameras and behind closed doors.

It could make for gripping political theatre, live and unpredictable, in a way the American public has never before witnessed.

Image source, Reuters

Joe Biden "will go down in history as one of the most impactful and selfless presidents", says California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Writing on X, he says his fellow Democrat "has fought hard for working people and delivered astonishing results for all Americans".

Newsom is one of the names who's been floated as a potential successor for Biden. You can read about him and others in the frame here.

Lisa Lambert
Live reporter

Image source, Getty Images

27 June Presidential debate where Biden’s often-incoherent answers leave many wondering about his fitness for office.

28 June Biden hopes to end doubts with a North Carolina campaign speech where he says: “I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used to. But I know what I do know: I know how to tell the truth.”

2 July Lloyd Doggett is the first Democratic Representative to call for Biden to step aside - and is soon joined by others.

5 July In an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopolous, Biden says only the “Lord Almighty” could persuade him to stand down and he will not take a cognitive test.

8 July After a weekend of in-party disagreement, Biden tells news show Morning Joe “I am not going anywhere” and sends Democrats a long letter pleading for unity.

10 July Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tells Morning Joe “it's up to the president to decide if he is going to run,” making it clear the matter is not settled. George Clooney calls for him to quit in an op-ed, and Peter Welch becomes the first Democratic senator to demand he withdraws.

11 July At the end of a Nato summit in Washington, Biden refers to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin” and Vice-President Harris as Trump.

13 July The spotlight briefly moves off Biden as Trump is shot in the ear in an attempted assassination.

17 July Biden tests positive for Covid and pauses campaigning to quarantine. Top Democrat Adam Schiff calls on Biden to “pass the torch.” Other lawmakers take up the saying.

18 July A clip goes viral of Biden forgetting Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin’s name in an interview where he also says he’d drop out if a “medical condition emerged.” Reports leak of congressional leaders talking about leaving the race with Obama saying he has low chances of winning.

19 July Biden announces he will return to the campaign trail the next week. The number of House Democrats demanding his withdrawal hits 30 and major donors turn up the heat.

20 July Trump slams Democrats for not knowing who their nominee is.

Today In a statement, Biden leaves the presidential race. He endorses Vice-President Kamala Harris to take the top of the ticket.

Biden's performance in swing states will have affected his decisionpublished at 19:53 British Summer Time 21 July

19:53 BST 21 July

Gary O'Donoghue
Senior North America correspondent, reporting from Grand Rapids, Michigan

One of the major factors in this decision will be Joe Biden's recent performance in swing states.

He's started to slip in the polls in places like Michigan and Pennsylvania which he won last time and which are central to the Democrats' path to the White House.

Talking to Democrats in Michigan this morning, they were anxious about the uncertainty around Joe Biden's candidacy.

This decision means they will have to wait several more weeks yet before they can be sure who they are campaigning for.

An emergency meeting of senior Democratic National Committee (DNC) officials is under way right now, our US partner CBS reports.

Reaction continues to flood in – including from House Speaker, Mike Johnson.

"If Joe Biden is not fit to run for president, he is not fit to serve as president," the Republican writes on X.

"He must resign the office immediately," Johnson adds, going on to say that polling day in the US election, 5 November, "cannot arrive soon enough".

Britain's former foreign secretary, James Cleverly, thanks President Joe Biden for being a "great friend to the UK".

In a post on X, external, the Conservative shadow home secretary says it was a "pleasure" as foreign secretary to meet Biden on his trips to Britain, touching on when he met him when signing the book of condolence for the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Image source, Reuters

Let's bring you Joe Biden's full statement pulling out of the race for the White House, which he posted on X a short time ago:

"My Fellow Americans, over the past three-and-a-half years, we have made great progress as a nation. Today, America has the strongest economy in the world. We've made historic investments in rebuilding our nation, in lowering prescription drug costs for seniors, and in expanding affordable health care to a record number of Americans.

"We've provided critically needed care to a million veterans exposed to toxic substances. Passed the first gun safety law in 30 years. Appointed the first African American woman to the Supreme Court. And passed the most significant climate legislation in the history of the world. America has never been better positioned to lead than we are today.

"I know none of this could have been done without you, the American people. Together, we overcame a once in a century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We've protected and preserved our democracy. And we've revitalised and strengthened our alliances around the world.

"It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And 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.

"I will speak to the nation later this week in more detail about my decision. For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me re-elected.

"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."

Image source, Reuters

In the last few moments, Donald Trump has reacted to Joe Biden's decision to pull out of the presidential race, posting on his platform Truth Social: "Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for president, and is certainly not fit to serve - and never was!"

"He only attained the position of President by lies, Fake News, and not leaving his Basement.

"All those around him, including his Doctor and the Media, knew that he wasn’t capable of being President, and he wasn’t," he writes.

"We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has done very quickly. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

More from Biden's statement now.

He says although he's dropping out of the presidential race, he's not stepping down as US president and will stay in the White House for the final six months of his term.

"I believe it is in my 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 writes.

As a reminder, the US presidential election is on 5 November - the winner serves four years.

Democrat Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says today shows President Joe Biden is a "true patriot and great American".

In a post on X, external, he says: "Joe Biden has not only been a great president and a great legislative leader but he's a truly amazing human being.

"His decision of course was not easy, but he once again put his country, his party, and our future first."

Here's Biden's statement on Harris in full, which he posted on X moments ago:

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.

Image source, EPA

Joe Biden has just announced that he's endorsing Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for the US 2024 presidential race, in a post on X.

"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," he writes on X.

Democrats now have to choose a new nominee. We know they had scheduled a roll-call vote to formally nominate Biden for some time after 1 August. This could now be cancelled.

Their convention is in Chicago Monday, 19 August, through Thursday, 22 August. Biden swept the primaries, meaning that the delegates representing each state at the convention were pledged to vote for him.

They will be released to vote for another candidate.

We don’t know much about the process from there - specifically how the delegates will choose the next nominee. The president has said he believes that Vice-President Kamala Harris is up for the job.

Presidential elections plunges headfirst into unknownpublished at 19:04 British Summer Time 21 July

19:04 BST 21 July

Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent

For the first time since Lyndon Baines Johnson in 1968, an incumbent US president has abandoned a re-election campaign. LBJ could not overcome the deep unpopularity of a Vietnam War taking place half a world away.

Biden’s challenges were inside him – his age and a faltering, incoherent performance in his debate with Donald Trump. They proved no less politically fatal.

And now a presidential season that already has been marked by many historic firsts is plunging headfirst into the unknown.

Democrats must plan a path ahead, under the harsh spotlight of public scrutiny and with the clock ticking inexorably toward November’s election.

The consequences of failure are Trump’s return to the White House – a prospect that would have been unthinkable for Democrats when Biden’s presidency began.

During his inauguration speech three and a half years ago, Biden pledged to heal America’s wounds and move the nation on from the divisiveness of the Trump presidency.

He has announced the end of his political career with those divisions deeper than ever and with a party he led in crisis.

US President Joe Biden has announced that he will end his candidacy for re-election, upending the race for the White House four months before Americans go to the polls in November.

The decision comes after weeks of intense pressure from fellow Democrats following a stumbling and sometimes incoherent debate performance against Republican Donald Trump at the end of June.

The 81-year-old had resisted calls to step aside even as concerns over his mental fitness and capacity to beat Trump mounted.

The announcement paves the way for another Democrat to become the party’s presidential candidate, with Vice-President Kamala Harris the most likely successor.

He will remain president until January, when the winner of the 2024 election will take office.