Fellow Democrats Force Joe Biden Out of His Reelection Bid

When he was campaigning for office four years ago, President Joe Biden promised to be "a bridge" to the next generation of leaders.

That bridge will be four years shorter than Biden may have planned.

Biden, the oldest president in American history at age 81, announced Sunday that he will not seek reelection this year. The announcement ends weeks of speculation about the future of Biden's campaign—and it could kick off a mad scramble to replace Biden on the top of the ticket, with the Democratic National Convention (DNC) approaching quickly and the general election less than four months away.

"It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president," Biden wrote in a letter to the country released Sunday afternoon. "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."