With a little over three months left until the U.S. presidential election, President Joe Biden announced on Sunday he is pulling out of the race.

In a statement posted on the social media platform X, Biden said while it has been his intention to seek reelection, he believes it is in the best interest of his party and the country for him to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling his duties as president for the remainder of his term.

In a separate post following the announcement, Biden wrote that he is endorsing his vice president, Kamala Harris, to be the Democratic nominee for president.

Biden said his very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Harris as his vice president and that it’s been the best decision he’s made, adding he wants to offer his full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of the party this year. 

He also said that it’s time for Democrats to come together and beat Donald Trump. 

Biden’s exit from the presidential race came 25 days after his much-criticized TV debate with former President Trump on June 27. The 81-year-old president appeared frail and confused at several points throughout the debate, prompting calls from party insiders for him to drop out.