Obama speaks out about Biden's decision to drop out of the race

During Obama's presidency, Biden served as vice president. Obama's statement comes amid reports last week that the former president was among senior political figures questioning Biden's re-election bid.

Notably, in the above statement, Mr. Obama did not mention current Vice President Kamala Harris, who was supported by Mr. Biden as his replacement candidate.

Mr. Obama said the Democratic Party will handle this unprecedented situation in the weeks leading up to the party's National Convention.

From left to right: Mr. Biden, Mr. Trump, Ms. Harris. Photo: Fox News

Earlier, late on July 21 local time (early morning of July 22 Vietnam time), President Biden announced that he was abandoning his re-election bid under increasing pressure from members of his own party.

President Biden, 81 and the oldest leader to occupy the White House, said he endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him as the party's candidate to face Republican Donald Trump in the November election.

Mr. Biden also said he will continue to serve as US President until his term ends on January 20 next year and will address the nation this week.

Mr Biden has not been seen in public since testing positive for Covid-19 last week and is quarantining at his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

"While I intend to run for re-election, I believe it is in the best interests of my party and the country for me to step back from the campaign and focus solely on serving as President for the remainder of my term," Biden said on social media.

The move dramatically reshapes a race that has been rocked repeatedly in recent weeks, first by Biden’s dismal debate performance on June 27 that prompted his fellow Democrats to urge him to drop out.

And then there was the failed assassination attempt on former President Trump, 78, on July 13, and last week Mr. Trump named hard-line Republican Senator JD Vance, 39, as his vice-presidential running mate.

Americans have expressed discontent in polls about the likelihood of a rematch between Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump, with Mr. Trump telling CNN on July 21 that he believes Ms. Harris would be easier to defeat.

If Ms. Harris becomes the nominee, the move would be an unprecedented decision by the Democratic Party as the first Black and Asian American woman to run for the White House in a country that elected a Black president and has never had a female president in more than two centuries.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison said the American people will soon hear from the party about the next steps and the path forward for the nomination process. This is the first time in more than half a century that a sitting US president has given up his party's nomination.

If officially nominated, Ms. Harris, 59, would become the first Black woman to lead a major party in American history. A former attorney general of California and former U.S. senator, Ms. Harris ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. presidential nomination in 2020.

"My goal is to win this nomination," Ms. Harris said in a statement. "I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party - and unite our country - to defeat Donald Trump."

Officials, allies and supporters of Ms. Harris’s campaign have begun making calls to secure delegate support for her nomination ahead of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago from Aug. 19-22, multiple sources said.

Minh Duc (According to Reuters, 9News)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/ong-obama-len-tieng-ve-quyet-dinh-tu-bo-tranh-cu-cua-ong-biden-204240722060847202.htm