First Lady Jill Biden has responded to her husband’s announcement he is stepping down from the presidential race with a simple heart emoji.
Dr Biden, whose loyalty to the president has been unswerving during their 47 years of marriage, shared his historic statement on the social media platform X.
Follow live: Reaction as Biden pulls out of race
Mr Biden’s closest confidant and counsel, she had ridden to his support in the wake of his disastrous debate against Donald Trump last month that fuelled calls for him to stand down.
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Within minutes of the end of the head-to-head, she took to the stage to hail his performance.
The first lady told the cheering crowd: “Joe, you did such a great job. You answered every question.”
Other members of the family have also rallied around including Naomi Biden, 30, the eldest daughter of Hunter Biden and Kathleen Buhle, who described her grandfather as “the most effective president of our lifetime”.
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Biden ‘shamed’ into dropping out
She said: “I’m nothing but proud today of my pop, our president, Joe Biden, who has served our country with every bit of his soul and with unmatched distinction.
“Not only has he been – and will continue to be – the most effective president of our lifetime, but he has likely already cemented himself as the most effective and impactful public servant in our nation’s history.
“He has been at the centre of, and had a material impact on, literally every single major issue that our country and world has faced for 50 years. Our world is better today in so many ways thanks to him.
“To the Americans who have always had his back, keep the faith. He will always have ours.”
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Despite denials, Mr Biden’s family are known to have been discussing what an exit from his campaign might look like in the face of mounting pressure on him to quit.
The president and those around him have felt hurt by the moves to oust him, particularly by those they had felt were friends.
An ally of the president said: “There was a much more dignified way to do this if this is what they wanted.
“This is no way to treat a public servant who has done a lot for this country.”
The conversations about Mr Biden’s political future had raged while he remained at home in Delaware after he tested positive for COVID last week.
