pressure, says it's in the best interest for america and his party, and endorses kamala harris for the race. kamala harris vows to "earn and win" nominations, but can she get enough democrats united to rally behind her? republican presidential nominee donald trump sastoe biden was never fit to run for president and that he will remedy the damage caused under biden to make america great again. world leaders praise joe biden for his leadership and service. ukraine's president volodmyr zelensky thanks him for taking bold steps to support him in the war with russia. welcome to bbc news, and our special coverage of president biden�*s decision to drop out of the us presidential race.

mr biden has ended his re—election bid and endorsed vice—president kamala harris as the democratic nominee for the 2024 us presidential election. in a statement, he said... he has offered his full support and endorsment for kamala harris to be the democratic nominee and will address the nation in a speech to the nation later this week former president trump reacted on truth social, saying...

he went on to say... potential contenders in the running for consideration at the forthcoming democratic national convention have begun to endorse vp harris after mr biden�*s decision. california governor gavin newsom has endorsed ms harris, writing on x... "with our democracy at stake and our "future on the line, no one is better to prosecute "the case against donald trump's dark "vision and guide our country "in a healthier direction than america's vice president kamala "harris". his endorsementjoins that of pennsylvania governorjosh shapiro. but michigan governor gretchen whitmer has stopped short of endorsing vp harris, but has praised mr biden�*s decision. she wrote on x...

"myjob in this election will remain "the same: doing everything i can to elect democrats "and stop donald trump." our north america correspondent nomia iqbal is outside the white house. she's been telling me about the support that kamala harris will need to secure the nomination. already we are seeing many coming out to endorse her, but she doesn't automatically get the nomination, and she has said that, more or less, in her statement, that she will work to earn it, but she has also made the point that the election is a little over 100 days away and i think that is an indication that she wants people to unify behind a candidate for the democratic party. the democratic national convention, which is when they officially confirm who the nominee is, is only next month, so there's not much time for the democrats really coalesce around someone. the last few weeks they have been in disarray, ever since the presidential injune, which

presidential in june, which changed presidential injune, which changed everything forjoe biden, there has been so much scrutiny on the democratic party, whereas the republicans, they have just wrapped up the republican national convention, they have all got behind donald trump, and the chaos of the democratic party had been to their advantage. democratic party had been to theiradvantage. so democratic party had been to their advantage. so the democrats will want to try and hurry this process out and get behind one candidate, which at the moment seems to be kamala harris. 50 the moment seems to be kamala harris. ., , ., , harris. so how complicated does that make _ harris. so how complicated does that make it _ harris. so how complicated does that make it for _ harris. so how complicated does that make it for the _ harris. so how complicated does that make it for the democrats, | that make it for the democrats, considering we are just four months away from the american elections, and a lot has changed?— elections, and a lot has changed? elections, and a lot has chanced? , , ., changed? its, get it but not impossible. _ changed? its, get it but not impossible. i— changed? its, get it but not impossible. i think - changed? its, get it but not impossible. i think that - changed? its, get it but not impossible. i think that is i impossible. i think that is probably why there is, you have seen so many members of the democratic party coming out to stand behind kamala harris. interestingly, the former president 0bama, who is the democratic party grandee, he is an elder who is very much respected and hugely influential of course, in his statement, he did not

officially, or sorry, explicitly, endorse kamala harris. he basically indicated he was up for an open convention. an open convention hasn't happened in decades, when people get together and sort of nominate during the convention. and that is really interesting that that has been his position. there will be other members of the party who will probably want an open convention as well, and that is seen by others as pretty chaotic. they will want to get behind someone in time for the convention, and i think it will be a matter of may be days and the rest of the week where we will start to see where that process is going. but, yes, at the moment, kamala harris, as the moment, kamala harris, as the vice president, bearing in mind she has already made history as the first female vice president, the first black vice president, the first black vice president, the first black vice president, and she can now be on the cusp of history once again if she does indeed get that nomination. we

again if she does indeed get that nomination.— again if she does indeed get that nomination. we saw what donald trump _ donald trump posted on truth social. just from that aspect, what does this mean for his campaign now? i what does this mean for his campaign now?— campaign now? i think the republicans _ campaign now? i think the republicans will _ campaign now? i think the republicans will look - campaign now? i think the republicans will look at i campaign now? i think the l republicans will look at this as a bit of a wild card for them. they knew what they were getting from joe biden. when i was at the republican national convention, nearly every republican i spoke to was very happy of the idea of donald trump facing joe biden, they felt he was no competition, that donald trump was going to wipe the floor with mr biden, that mr biden had following the debate really sort of hindered his ability to convince the american public that he could serve another four years, and the polls were showing that donald trump was beating, especially in battle ground states. the republicans will say doesn't matter who they put forward, we are confident donald trump will be them, and certainly there are many saying that, and recent polls suggest

kamala harris is behind donald trump if there was a theoretical matchup, but i do think if it is indeed her, it does create this complete unknown quantity because donald trump has never faced unknown quantity because donald trump has neverfaced kamala harris before, and he has been on his truth social site posting up all these comments. he is now saying, he is laying the groundwork for saying the presidential debate, the next one due to happen in september, shouldn't go ahead unless it is done by another network. he has also criticised the democratic party, the republican party, if you think about it, they spent the last week at the convention attacking joe biden. that was their opponent, and now they don't know who their opponent is. ., , , ., , is. the developers have been watched very _ is. the developers have been watched very closely - is. the developers have been | watched very closely globally. leaderes from around the world are reacting to president biden�*s decision to drop out of the race. ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy has been a close ally to the us leader during his country's war with russia. he said...

british prime minister sir keir starmer reacted to the announcement... also reacting isjustin trudeau, canada's prime minister, who said on social media... german chancellor 0laf scholz said on x...

australian prime minister anthony albanese is another world leader who has forged a close relationship with president biden in recent years. australia are part of the aukus defence pact with the united states, as well as the quad alliance. the australian leader gave this reaction, a short time ago. biden has been a great friend of australia, and that will continue, and i look forward to meeting with president biden at the 620 meeting with president biden at the g20 and at the apec summits that will be held later this year. president biden deserves today i think to be recognised for once again not putting himself forward first, but giving his first consideration to being what he believes is in

the interests of the united states of america, as he has done his whole public life, and i done his whole public life, and i pay done his whole public life, and i pay tribute to him today. we are also picking up some reactions from president biden�*s family who have also expressed support for his decision. besides the first lady's statement, biden�*s son, hunter, who has been charged with tax evasion and other crimes, praised his father's decision. pressure had been building on joe biden to exit the presidential race after a poor performance in the debate with donald trump earlier this month. ray la raja, professor of political science at the university of massachusetts amherst, says it was inevitable that biden step down, given dwindling support in the democratic party. well, obviously he is proud, he has worked hard in politics and feels he deserves it, but the

pressure brought to bear by the top democratic leaders, including people like nancy pelosi, other members of the senate who were leaders, once you start to lose the support of key figures in your party like that, game over. so he is smart enough as a politician to know the handwriting on the wall. �* , ., ., ., ., wall. and in terms of kamala harris, wall. and in terms of kamala harris. who _ wall. and in terms of kamala harris, who he _ wall. and in terms of kamala harris, who he has— wall. and in terms of kamala| harris, who he has endorsed, and she has managed to get some endorsements, as we have been reporting so far, but there are still some uncertainty about what is likely to happen. given the polls regarding kamala harris, do you see the likelihood of her managing to get more democrats, or rather enough democrats rallying behind her?— behind her? well, i have a feeling. — behind her? well, i have a feeling. i _ behind her? well, i have a feeling, i mean, _ behind her? well, i have a feeling, i mean, she - behind her? well, i have a feeling, i mean, she is- behind her? well, i have a i feeling, i mean, she is going to be the likely nominee and it would be very difficult for there to be a really contested primary. the democrats want to unify as much as possible, so the fact that biden endorsed her as a very strong signal, anybody seen the big players who might have been in the nomination, like governor newsome of california, stepping back and supporting her. so it

already tells me they are coming together, which is a good sign for the democrats, and open convention is very, very challenging, we have done it since 1968. i5 very challenging, we have done it since 1968.— it since 1968. is that, though, a possibility. _ it since 1968. is that, though, a possibility, in _ it since 1968. is that, though, a possibility, in terms - it since 1968. is that, though, a possibility, in terms of- it since 1968. is that, though, a possibility, in terms of a - a possibility, in terms of a scenario, and if so who could be other potential or possible candidates be?— candidates be? well, it is alwa s candidates be? well, it is always possible, - candidates be? well, it is always possible, you - candidates be? well, it is l always possible, you know, candidates be? well, it is - always possible, you know, the democrats are caught in this tension, they want legitimacy of having some type of contest, but they also want to unify, so maybe there might be an open convention, but i think they are going to try to wrap that “p are going to try to wrap that up fairly quickly. you will start to see a cascade of nominations in support of vice president harris, i'm pretty sure of that. i president harris, i'm pretty sure of that.— sure of that. i asked this to my colleague _ sure of that. i asked this to my colleague short - sure of that. i asked this to my colleague short while i sure of that. i asked this to i my colleague short while ago, how do you think the republicans are viewing all of these developments?- these developments? well, i have to expect _ these developments? well, i have to expect they - these developments? well, i have to expect they are - these developments? well, i have to expect they are nowl have to expect they are now amending their campaign sheets. i mean, their theme was biden is too old, and he is decrepit,

and now they have to say now trump is the one who looks old, so they will have to re—figure this, and their convention present this kind of masculine, matcha image that might not play very well with middle—class women in some of these swing districts, and the contrast now is with a younger woman, vice president harris, who is very pro—abortion. so they have to be a little worried about that. but given the olls worried about that. but given the polls about _ worried about that. but given the polls about kamala - worried about that. but given| the polls about kamala harris lagging behind, how would you say, in terms of a candidate, how strong, in terms of optics, is that going to be, when you see donald trump versus kamala harris? ~ . ., , harris? well, the election is auoin to harris? well, the election is going to be _ harris? well, the election is going to be very _ harris? well, the election is going to be very close. - harris? well, the election is going to be very close. the | going to be very close. the united states, the electorate is divided, even with biden in there, he was starting to go down. she is going to replace him. you are not going to see tremendous movement. it is going to be a test of whether

she can campaign, if she is the nominee. you know, most americans, she is the vice president, most americans don't pay attention to the vice president, so she is going to have to re—introduce herself to an electorate, and that is going to be the test right there. can she gain support, can she get those younger voters that biden was not getting, while still holding onto the older voters that were very popular for onto the older voters that were very popularfor biden? be on the analysts and all the political leaders we have been getting reaction from, here are what people have to say outside the white house. i what people have to say outside the white house.— the white house. i know that women can — the white house. i know that women can lead, _ the white house. i know that women can lead, absolutely. j the white house. i know thatl women can lead, absolutely. i will support her if she is the nominee. i wonder if she would be chosen, and if she's not, does she still get access to the money if she is the vice presidential nominee? and

someone else is the presidential nominee. i don't know. i think the party needs to think about who can successfully when, and is this country, i'll put it bluntly, is this country ready to elect a black woman to be president over a convicted felon?- over a convicted felon? having a little bit _ over a convicted felon? having a little bit of — over a convicted felon? having a little bit of youth _ over a convicted felon? having a little bit of youth would - a little bit of youth would actually go a long way. ex president trump is 78, and our current— president trump is 78, and our current president is 81, so, yeah. — current president is 81, so, yeah. i_ current president is 81, so, yeah, i actually think that age limited — yeah, i actually think that age limited term should be on the other— limited term should be on the other side as well, because i think— other side as well, because i think that obviously it is a little _ think that obviously it is a little bit _ think that obviously it is a little bit more complicated and. — little bit more complicated and, you know, all of us, as we -et and, you know, all of us, as we get older. — and, you know, all of us, as we get older, obviously natural thing — get older, obviously natural thing start occurring, so yeah, a little — thing start occurring, so yeah, a little bit _ thing start occurring, so yeah, a little bit of youth would actually be really welcome. for more on what happens in the democratic convention next week my colleague caitriona perry spoke to a democratic congressman —— congresswoman.