S President Joe Biden has decided to withdraw from the race for a second term in the White House. After a political career spanning more than half a century in public office, starting with winning a city council seat in 1970 in his home state of Delaware, he has decided not to seek re-election as president. Questions on how he reached this decision and whether he left it until too late have lingered.

Elections in the US are set-up differently from the rest of the world. The potential candidates for the two big political parties, Democrats and Republicans, fight it out in party primaries to win the party nomination. If a sitting president decides to seek a second term, nobody from his own party challenges him. This has been a longstanding tradition.

Joe Biden had made his intentions very clear. He did want another four years in the White House. He had put together his campaign team and was much on the campaign trail since the start of 2024. In the seven months of 2024, before he decided to withdraw, his campaign had generated more than $200 million in donor funding. Although doubts were raised on his health and the ability to withstand the pressures that come with the job for another four years, he was always quick to dismiss such concerns in personal interactions with the media as well as through official spokespersons.

However, murmurs had started behind closed doors, and this was making the Democratic Party bigwigs edgy. To start with, Biden’s economic performance through the three and half years was under scrutiny. Yes, the inflationary impact of Covid-19 had affected the market, but the economy was also reeling from the impact of two major conflicts, Ukraine and Gaza, that started during this time. When the US voters compared Joe Biden’s economic performance with four years of Donald Trump, the difference was stark.

Biden wasn’t the candidate of choice for many groups within the Democratic Party even when he was elected in November 2020. He was more a candidate of necessity since the groups, youngsters backing Bernie Sanders and females who looked up to Hillary Clinton, rallied around behind him with a singular focus to defeat Donald Trump. Since the Democratic Party is always pro-immigration, the voting numbers of immigrants also spiked in his favour in several key swing states like Arizona, Georgia and Pennsylvania.

However, his health has continued to decline. There were memes almost throughout his tenure as to how he was unable to move or speak well. Republicans pounced on this weakness and built their entire campaign strategy around it. It became a major flashpoint after the first presidential debate in which Joe Biden looked a shadow of what he was four years ago. Even the otherwise sympathetic media pundits were sceptical of his chances. Poll numbers started worsening and donors threatened to pull out if he stayed in the race. Background maneuvers within the party circles intensified.

Throughout this, Biden remained defiant. He repeatedly said that he was the best candidate to beat Donald Trump in the forthcoming elections. People close to him and in advisory position apparently weren’t really sold. Even Barack Obama, who spent eight years in the White House with Biden as his vice-president, doubted his prospects in the match-up. There was nothing on record though. Information was being leaked to the media in a subtle manner and pressure was mounting.

Biden did announce a withdrawal, surprisingly posting it on X (formerly Twitter) first and informing his White House staff later. In doing so, he also endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris as the presidential nominee. In a way, she was the most logical choice.

The first major hint came when Biden pulled out of an event in Las Vegas due to Covid. While he retreated into self-isolation, speculation grew that it was going to be the beginning of the end. Biden made one last-ditch effort and issued a statement that he would be back on the campaign trail after recovering from Covid. His party had other ideas. A couple of trusted advisors, who had been with him throughout his long political journey, and former House speaker Nancy Pelosi met him during the self-isolation and encouraged him to stand-down. He was shown poll numbers from swing states, an exercise that the party had conducted on its own. It showed a huge gulf between him and the rival, Donald Trump. He had lost support from four years ago. Even his party’s loyal voters were reluctant to bank on his health for the next four years. The party needed a new direction and a new face. That was the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back.

Biden announced a withdrawal, surprisingly posting it on X (formerly Twitter) first and informing his White House staff later.

Addressing the nation on July 25, he framed his decision to step aside as a matter of saving democracy and passing “the torch to a new generation.” He acknowledged that uniting the party required sacrificing personal ambition for what he saw as a greater good. “I revere this office. But I love my country more,” he said. “It’s been the honour of my life to serve as your president. But in defence of democracy, which is at stake – and is more important than any title - I draw strength and I find joy in working for the American people,” he said. “The great thing about America is, here, kings and dictators do not rule,” Biden said. “The people do. History is in your hands, the idea of America lies in your hands.”

He also endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the presidential nominee. In a way, she was the most logical choice. She is a known face and could try to sell the accomplishments during the first tenure to the voters. She has the campaign infrastructure already rolling. A new candidate would have had to start from scratch. The funding that Biden-Harris ticket had generated could also not be diverted to any other candidate legally.

Kamala Harris is still a presumptive candidate. The Democratic National Convention in Chicago from August 19-22 is where the nomination will formally take place. However, just three and a half months before the polls, there is no time to play the waiting game. With big money and endorsements of delegates rolling in for Kamala Harris, her nomination is more or less sealed. It will be highly unlikely for her to face a challenge from within the party.

The Trump campaign has been forced to rethink strategy. All their efforts were geared towards making the voters understand that Joe Biden was unfit for presidency. That is now gone. Instead, the accolades being showered on Joe Biden for putting the country and party above personal ambition might result in sympathy vote for his endorsee. Kamala Harris is pitching herself as a prosecutor who can handle Donald Trump, ‘a convicted felon.’ That seems to have ruffled some feathers in the Republican camp. The next presidential debate is slated for September 10. Trump seems to be shying away from it. He wants to move it away from the scheduled hosts ABC to Fox News. This may be a sign that he is feeling the heat of the challenge. If the debate does go ahead, it promises to be heated and will be keenly watched.

Meanwhile, Joe Biden has just over five months in the White House before he passes the baton to his successor. A lame-duck president is not in an ideal position to take policy decisions with regards to economy or foreign policy. Biden, though, would like to leave a legacy befitting a long career. The clock is ticking.

The writer teaches journalism at Lamar University in Texas. He tweets at @awaissaleem77