The Squiz 

After weeks of pressure since his poor showing in the first debate against presidential frontrunner Donald Trump, US President Joe Biden has abandoned his run for another term and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement. The 81yo said overnight that being America’s leader had been “the greatest honour” of his life. “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 focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term,” he said.

That’s big…

Yep, but more and more senior Democrats were publicly and privately urging him to stand down after that debate on 30 June, where he appeared vague and at times incoherent. Many appearances after that weren’t as bad, but party movers and shakers became convinced he wasn’t capable of beating Trump. Senate Leader Chuck Schumer was one who came out last week urging Biden to go – he thanked the President for putting “his party, and our future first.” As for Harris, Biden reckons she’s best placed to get the job done – he said “it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.” If elected, 59yo Harris would make history as the first female president, but she’s struggled with approval ratings that are lower than Biden’s. Other candidates flagged as potential replacements include Californian Governor Gavin Newsom and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. 

So what happens next?

Well, Biden has COVID but is set to address the US later this week. As for the Democrats’ candidate selection process, individual delegates will need to select the party’s nominee either during a virtual roll call tentatively scheduled for early August, or on the convention floor in Chicago next month. That’s TBC… Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s done his first campaign rally since last weekend’s assassination attempt, declaring he “took a bullet for democracy”. The fallout from the shooting isn’t over – Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle will face tough questions today at a congressional hearing where they’re expecting answers on how Thomas Crooks was able to take the “one-in-a-million shot”. It’s all happening…