Report: Biden wanted to stay in 2024 race right up until meeting two close aides Saturday night

President Joe Biden speaks at the 115th NAACP National Convention in Las Vegas, Tuesday, July 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
President Joe Biden speaks at the 115th NAACP National Convention in Las Vegas, Tuesday, July 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

US President Joe Biden decided to quit the 2024 presidential race on Saturday night after a game-changing meeting with two of his closest aides, Politico reports.

According to the report, Biden was insistent on running right up until the meeting, telling his senior aides it was “full steam ahead.”

But later that evening, the Democratic incumbent held meetings with two longtime advisers, Steve Ricchetti and Mike Donilon, who presented him with updates on a significant slowdown of fundraising, and internal polls that showed he couldn’t win the November election, five anonymous sources familiar with the matter told Politico.

At 1:45 p.m. on Sunday, Biden notified a large group of close aides that he had made the decision to end his campaign the night before, then, at 1:46 p.m., he posted the letter announcing the move on X.

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