"Dear fellow citizens..." The wording of Biden's renunciation statement

Joe Biden announces his withdrawal from the presidential race in writing. The statement in full.

US President Joe Biden has announced his decision not to run for another term in office - in a letter that he published on several social media channels. The statement in full:

"Dear fellow citizens,

Over the past three and a half years, we have made great progress as a nation.

Today, America has the strongest economy in the world. We have made historic investments in rebuilding our nation, in lowering prescription drug costs for seniors, and in expanding affordable health care to a record number of Americans. We've provided much-needed care to a million veterans exposed to toxic substances.

We passed the first gun safety bill in 30 years. We appointed the first African-American woman to the Supreme Court. And we passed the most significant climate legislation in the history of the world. America has never been better positioned to lead than we are today.

I know that none of this could have been done 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 revitalized and strengthened our alliances around the world.

It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it was my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to step down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.

I will speak more fully to the nation about my decision later this week.

For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to everyone who worked so hard to re-elect me. I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary 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.

I believe today what I have always believed: That there is nothing America cannot accomplish - if we do it together. We just have to remember that we are the United States of America."

dpa