Republicans Urge Joe Biden to Resign as US President After Dropping Out of 2024 Race

JAKARTA - Republican politicians have been urging Joe Biden to resign from the position of President of the United States, after he withdrew from the 2024 Presidential Election contest on Sunday.

They said the Democratic incumbent's reluctance to continue his candidacy for a second term raises questions about his ability to continue governing.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, US Senator J.D. Vance, who is Donald Trump's vice presidential candidate who was just announced last week, and other lawmakers have urged the 81-year-old politician to resign from his position.

"If Joe Biden is not fit to run for president, he is not fit to serve as President. He should resign from his position immediately. November 5 is right around the corner," Johnson said, as reported by Reuters on July 22.

Others, including Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin, have asked Biden's Cabinet to remove him from office using the 25th Amendment to the US Constitution. Biden's Cabinet, which consists of officials directly appointed by the president, is highly unlikely to do so.

"If Joe Biden ends his re-election campaign, how can he justify remaining President?" Vance tweeted.

Republican Senator Rick Scott and Representatives Elise Stefanik, Tim Burchett, and Mike Waltz also called on Biden to resign.

President Biden has decided to withdraw from the political contest that will be held on November 5, choosing to focus on his duties until his term ends on January 20, 2025.

He then said he supports his vice president, Kamala Harris to run in the 2024 US presidential election. Harris also thanked him for the support, stating her readiness to defeat Trump and unite the Democratic Party.

Republicans have spent months slandering Biden on issues including immigration and inflation. House Republicans also launched a failed effort to impeach Biden that found no evidence of wrongdoing.

President Biden himself has emphasized that he will focus on his state duties after withdrawing from the presidential race, until the end of his term on January 20, 2025.

Meanwhile, when asked about the calls for resignation, Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, a close Biden ally, said, "I think it's ridiculous."

Separately, White House spokesman Andrew Bates said President Biden would continue in office.

"He looks forward to finishing his term and delivering more historic results for the American people," Bates said.

"That includes continuing to lower costs, create jobs, and protect Social Security while opposing the MAGAnomics agenda that will worsen inflation and push us into recession," he said.