Biden officially announces his withdrawal from the US presidential election race / Expanded

US President Joe Biden announced on Sunday evening his withdrawal from the US presidential election race against former President Donald Trump. Biden said in a statement published on his official page on the "X" platform: "It has been the greatest honor of my life to be your president.. While I intend to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and my country for me to step down and focus solely on performing my duties as president for the remainder of my term." Biden indicated that he will speak to the nation later this week and provide more details about his decision. He added in his statement: "Over the past three and a half years we have made great progress as a nation and today America has the strongest economy in the world." 'We have made historic investments in rebuilding our nation, lowering prescription drug costs for seniors, and expanding affordable health care to a record number of Americans. We have provided care for a million veterans exposed to toxic substances, an d passed the first gun safety law in 30 years,' he continued. 'We have appointed the first African American woman to the Supreme Court. We have passed the most significant climate legislation in world history, and America has never been better positioned to lead than it is today.' 'I know that none of this could have been possible without you, the American people. Together, we have overcome a once-in-a-century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We have protected and preserved our democracy, and we have revitalized and strengthened our alliances around the world.' 'Now let me express my deep gratitude to all those who worked so hard to re-elect me. I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an exceptional partner in all of this work. And let me express my deep appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me,' he said. The US president concluded his statement by saying: 'I believe today what I have always believed, that there is not hing America cannot do when we do it together. We just have to remember that we are the United States of America.' Source: National Iraqi News Agency