President Joe Biden was unwilling to withdraw from seeking reelection because of concerns he and senior staff had on whether Vice President Kamala Harris was up to the task of facing former President Donald Trump, Axios reported Monday, citing three Biden aides familiar with recent talks about his plans.
Biden, 81, the oldest-serving president in U.S. history, eventually stepped aside Sunday after weeks of fretting by Democrats following his disastrous debate performance against Trump. Biden wrote in a statement posted Sunday on X he is withdrawing from the race because “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.”