Quit to save democracy: Biden; Trump blasts Kamala as ‘radical’

Washington, July 25

US President Joe Biden addressed the nation on Wednesday for the first time since dropping his reelection bid, saying he decided to forgo personal ambition to “save democracy” in a sedate Oval Office speech that contrasted with the rough-and-tumble campaign.

Shortly before the speech, Republican Donald Trump laid into Democratic rival Kamala Harris in his first rally since she replaced Biden atop the ticket, signalling a bare-knuckled campaign ahead of the Nov 5 election.

Trump branded Harris a “radical left lunatic” after she had dominated the campaign the two previous days with withering attacks on him that pointedly raised his felony convictions, his liability for sexual abuse, and fraud judgments against his business, charitable foundation and private university.

Momentum grew for the Harris campaign as NBC News said on Thursday that former President Barack Obama planned to soon endorse Harris as the Democratic presidential candidate. — Reuters