Donald Trump has called Joe Biden “the worst president in American history” following the announcement of his withdrawal from the race for the next term in the White House.
Trump didn’t hold back when he made the statement in a brief phone interview with Sky News’ US sister station NBC News.
“Joe Biden is, by far, the worst president in American history,” he said. “There has never been a president who has done so much damage to our country. From energy independence to the influx of millions and millions of illegal immigrants.”
He added: “We will fix what he has done.”
Follow live: Reaction when Biden withdraws from the race
Mr. Biden’s announcementThe 81-year-old comes after months of speculation about his age and fitness to serve another four years.
Asked by NBC if he was surprised by the announcement, Trump said, “He should never have been there in the first place. He should have stayed in his basement.”
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Joe Biden’s full statement
When Biden steps aside, who will replace him?
Trump also posted on his Truth Social platform, calling Biden “crooked” and saying he was “unfit to run for president…certainly unfit to serve, and never was!”
“He only achieved the position of president with lies, fake news and without leaving his basement.
“Everyone around him, including his doctor and the media, knew he wasn’t capable of being president, and he wasn’t. And now, look what he’s done to our country, with millions of people crossing our border . Completely without control or investigation, many of them coming from prisons, mental institutions and a record number of terrorists.
“We will suffer greatly from his presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has caused very quickly. LET’S MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
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Biden made the announcement in a letter addressed to “my fellow Americans,” saying he made the decision “in the best interest of my party and the country” and that it had been the “greatest honor” of his life to serve as president.
This development sends the 2024 presidential race into uncharted territory just four months before the election, as it will now be necessary to elect another Democrat to take on Trump, the Republican candidate, in a race that has already been marked by tension, division and a assassination attempt.
Biden endorsed Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate, saying, “Democrats, it’s time to come together and beat Trump.”
Trump also said he believes Harris will be easier to defeat than Biden, according to CNN.
What have other Republicans and party supporters said?
Other Republicans have also reacted to the news of the sitting president: Elise Stefanik, chairwoman of the House Republican Conference, and Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson called on him to resign now.
Biden plans to serve out the remainder of his term, which ends at noon on Jan. 20, 2025.
“If Joe Biden cannot run for re-election, he is neither capable nor fit to serve as president of the United States,” Stefanik said. “He must resign immediately.”
Johnson echoed his words, saying: “November 5 can’t come soon enough.”
Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr said in a statement on something.
“She was put in charge of the border and we saw the worst invasion of illegals in our history!!!”
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Biden reached the political summit, but became a liability
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“The Democratic Party bosses just demonstrated that they have absolutely no respect for their own voters,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, also on X. “After lecturing others about democracy, “They simply kicked Joe Biden off the ballot, destroying the primary election for 14 million of their own voters.”
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