Biden's performance was widely criticized, with commentators noting he frequently lost his train of thought and gave meandering answers, had a faltering appearance, spoke with a hoarse voice, and failed to recall statistics or coherently express his opinion on several occasions.

[7] However, on July 21, 2024, he withdrew his candidacy via a signed letter posted on his personal Twitter account, writing that this was "in the best interest of my party and the country", while stating that he would continue serving as president until the conclusion of his term.

[26] The report generated controversy as O'Connor challenged it, citing Cannard's appearances during Barack Obama's administration and personnel within the White House who suffer from neurological disorders.

[29] On January 7, 2025, a New York Times opinion piece argued that Phillips should be nominated for a Profile in Courage Award because it was left to him to "play the part of the boy who says the emperor has no clothes".

[1][36][37] Biden made protecting American democracy a central focus of his campaign,[38][39] along with restoring the federal right to abortion following the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v.

[49] Biden proposed and enacted targeted tariffs against strategic Chinese industries to protect manufacturing jobs and counter China's technological and military ambitions.

[51][52] Phillips argued during his campaign that Biden would be a weak general election candidate due to concerns about his age and low approval ratings.

Biden's performance in particular was criticized, in which he had a faltering appearance and spoke with a hoarse voice, and failed to recall statistics or coherently express his opinion on several occasions.

[66] Trump was declared the winner of the debate by columnists from The Hill,[67] CNN,[68] Politico,[69] The New York Times,[70] USA Today,[71] Business Insider,[72] and Vox.

[73] Columnists from MSNBC,[74] The Cook Political Report,[75] The Guardian,[76] and the Los Angeles Times argued that while Trump did not win the debate, Biden "clearly lost".

[91] On July 18, Axios reported that Democrats believed Biden would exit the election, citing pressure from Jeffries and Schumer, internal polling, and criticism.

[93] CNN reported that on July 20, Biden met with advisors Steve Ricchetti and Mike Donilon, during which they concluded that worsening poll numbers and a loss of party support had left the campaign without a plausible strategy to recover.

[94] That evening, Biden began planning a possible exit from the race with Ricchetti, Donilon, and other close aides, and he fully committed to the decision on the morning of July 21.

It attempted to reduce the tenacity of comments seeking Biden's withdrawal until he could be formally nominated in a virtual roll call vote prior to the Democratic National Convention, which was described as in effect "running out the clock".

In the letter, he wrote, "And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, 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".

[112] Biden's endorsement of Harris notwithstanding, Democratic National Committee rules do not require these delegates to follow his recommendation and support his selected successor.

"[119] An aide to Senator Bernie Sanders stated "the truth of the matter is, Biden should have stepped aside earlier and let the party put together a longer game plan.

[130] Trump's re-election campaign had prepared opposition research dossiers on Kamala Harris and Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro, who were viewed as a potential replacement ticket for Biden should he withdraw.

[133] Trump's language of "coup" was widely imitated by other Republican politicians and strategists[134] and in an op-ed by Josh Hammer, a senior editor of Newsweek.

[135] Australia: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Biden, saying he "has presided over an economy that has seen jobs grow, that has seen wages increase, and that has seen the transition proceed that is occurring as the world moves towards net zero.

President Biden has been a great friend of Australia and that will continue",[136] also stating that the "Australia–US Alliance has never been stronger with our shared commitment to democratic values, international security, economic prosperity and climate action for this and future generations".

[139][140] China: At a regular press briefing on July 22, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning declined to comment, and said the "presidential election is an internal affair of the United States".

[136][137] France: In a letter, President Emmanuel Macron praised Biden's "courage, spirit of responsibility and sense of duty that led [him] to this decision".

[143][144] Germany: Chancellor Olaf Scholz posted a statement on Twitter, stating "Joe Biden has achieved a great deal: for his country, for Europe, for the world...

I ... would like to thank you Mr President for your global leadership and your friendship as you make your announcement that you will not stand in the 2024 US Presidential election... Joe Biden, in all the offices he has held, has always been an unwavering voice and passionate worker for peace on the island of Ireland and our country owes him a great debt for this".

He added: "Politically, he makes the decision not to participate in reelection, that is up to those who are members of the Democratic Party to decide, we are going to continue seeking to maintain a good relationship with the United States government".

[147] New Zealand: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon stated: "President Biden has dedicated his life to public service, and that is something that deserves much respect.

[136][137] Norway: Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told Reuters: "I respect President Joe Biden's decision not to run for re-election.

Thanks to its determination and leadership, the US overcame the economic crisis after the pandemic and the serious assault on the Capitol and has been exemplary in its support for Ukraine in the face of Putin's Russian aggression.

"[149][139] United Kingdom: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer published a statement on Twitter, saying that he respects Biden's decision to drop out, and looks forward to working with him during the remainder of his presidency.