U.S. president Joe Biden withdrew from the race for the U.S. presidency, an extraordinary decision that plunges the democratic nomination into uncertainty just months before the November election against Donald Trump. A disastrous debate performance last month, and his uneven public appearances since, have only exacerbated longstanding voter concerns that the 81-year-old president was simply too old to serve another four years.
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00:00U.S. President Joe Biden withdrew from the race for the U.S. presidency, an extraordinary decision
00:04that plunges the Democratic nomination into uncertainty just months before the November
00:09election against Donald Trump. The president made this shocking announcement after a week's
00:13long pressure campaign by Democratic leaders, organizers and donors, disastrous debate
00:19performance last month and his uneven public appearance since have only exacerbated long-
00:24standing border concerns that the 81-year-old president was simply too old to serve another
00:2940 years. The president's withdrawal pushes the Democratic Party into largely uncharted waters,
00:34with its national convention scheduled to begin on August 19 in Chicago. The nominee will also
00:39have a tight window to choose a running mate to take on Trump and his vice presidential pick,
00:44the Ohio Senator James David Vance. In this context, current Vice President Kamala Harris
00:53will arrive in Chicago as an early favorite in the race to replace Biden. The 59-year-old
00:58VP has the largest national profile of any Democratic candidate, and delegates may view
01:03her as the safest option, with just four months to spare before Election Day. Campaign finance
01:09experts also say that Harris will have the most straightforward legal argument to keep the Biden
01:13campaign's fundraising whole, while another nominee may have to forfeit that money.
01:23Earlier, protesters had gathered outside the White House to call on President Joe Biden to
01:27pass the torch.
01:57Massively outspending Trump on the airwaves.