Biden to address nation Wednesday on decision to end reelection bid

President Joe Biden will address the nation on Wednesday evening on his decision to end his reelection bid for a second term in the White House.

Biden said on X, formerly Twitter, that he would speak "on what lies ahead" and how he will "finish the job for the American people." He will speak at 8 p.m. ET.

Biden declined to preview his message after he returned to Washington, telling reporters to "watch and listen."

"Why don’t you wait and hear what I say?" he said.

The president departed Delaware shortly before 2 p.m. on Tuesday, after nearly a week of isolating at his Rehoboth Beach home after his second bout with COVID-19. The Associated Press reported Biden is now testing negative for the virus and his symptoms have resolved, according to a letter from his doctor, Kevin O’Connor, released Tuesday.

Holding a blue paper mask, he told reporters that "I am feeling well" but did not answer other questions, such as whether Vice President Kamala Harris can defeat Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

According to the Associated Press, Biden has not been seen publicly since July 17, but he called into a campaign meeting on Monday to address staff and express his support for Vice President Kamala Harris’ bid to replace him a day after announcing he would leave the race.

Biden drops out of 2024 presidential race

President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race on Sunday. This comes as Democrats called for Biden to withdraw.

News of the president's address to the country comes days after he announced on July 21 that he would not seek reelection.

"It's been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President," Biden said in the letter. "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."

Why did Biden drop out of the election race?

The president faced pressure from Democrats, including top members in the party, to exit the race. A recent AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll showed that nearly two-thirds said Biden should step aside and let his party nominate a different candidate.

Donors, legislators and even Biden's aides expressed to him their doubts that he could convince voters he could handle the job for another four years.

Biden endorses Kamala Harris

Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the nominee. Biden's endorsement of Harris makes her the frontrunner for the nomination, but that doesn't mean she can swap in for him at the top of the ticket by default.

In a recent ABC News-Washington Post poll, Harris performed favorably in a theoretical matchup with Donald Trump, with 49% supporting Harris compared to 46% backing Trump.

Who else could replace Biden?

Before the president announced his decision, Democrats floated other names as potential presidential contenders.

In addition to Harris, others that endorsed Biden in 2024 while having their own presidential aspirations for future election cycles include California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker and California Rep. Ro Khanna.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.