(BIVN) – Following weeks of speculation, and pressure from fellow Democrats and their donors, President Joe Biden on Sunday morning announced he will end his bid for reelection. 

“My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” stated President Biden via social media. 

Biden has been isolated at his Rehoboth Beach home since he tested positive for COVID-19 last week. There have been mounting concerns over Biden’s bid for a second term following his disastrous presidential debate performance and visible decline.

“My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President,” Biden wrote. “And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.” 

Former president Donald Trump formally accepted the nomination as the Republican presidential candidate during the Republican National Convention on Thursday. 

Biden’s announcement prompted statements from Hawaiʻi’s two U.S. Senators, Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz, both of whom are loyal Democrats. 

“Like millions of Americans, I’m extremely grateful for Joe Biden’s service to our country over the past five decades, and his leadership over the last four years,” said Sen. Hirono. “After four years of utter chaos, President Biden led our country back from the pandemic and into the strongest economic recovery in a century. Under his leadership, Democrats passed landmark legislation to rebuild our nation’s infrastructure, support our veterans, combat the climate crisis, and invest billions in communities throughout Hawaii and across our country. His foreign policy leadership has been exemplary, helping to restore our country’s image on the world stage, strengthen NATO, and marshal international support for Ukraine. As the only person to have defeated Donald Trump, President Biden understands as well as anybody how high the stakes are this November, and I respect his decision to pass the baton.” 

“For over 50 years, Joe Biden has been a selfless patriot and dedicated public servant who’s given everything to the country he so dearly loves,” said Sen. Schatz. “As a senator, vice president, and now president, he has spent most of his life working to make people’s lives better and the world safer. Today, yet again, he has put the country before himself, making the best choice for the American people in this uniquely consequential moment. For that, and for his lifetime of service, we should all be deeply grateful.” 

“It’s not an overstatement to say Joe Biden has been and is the most consequential president of our lifetimes,” Sen. Schatz continued. “His legislative accomplishments speak for themselves and will endure for generations to come. He took the biggest climate action in human history. He cut the cost of prescription drugs for seniors and made our communities safer by passing long-overdue gun reform. He’s also revitalized our nation’s infrastructure and strengthened our alliances around the world.” 

“There’s no question Americans today are better off because of Joe Biden,” Schatz concluded. 

UPDATE – (2:45 p.m.) – Both Senators have endorsed Vice President Harris moving forward. 

“Working alongside the President, Vice President Harris has played a critical role in the progress we’ve made, and has shown herself ready to lead our party moving forward,” stated Sen. Hirono. “In the Senate, I saw firsthand what a fierce, committed, and effective champion Kamala is for the American people. I’m proud to call Vice President Harris a friend and colleague, and I look forward to doing everything in my power to get her elected to the White House, so we can continue building on the progress of the last four years.” 

“I strongly endorse Vice President Kamala Harris’ candidacy for president,” Sen. Schatz said in a later statement. “Her historic service as vice president helped us achieve many of our biggest legislative wins, casting tie-breaking votes on bills to help the country recover from the pandemic and take the biggest climate action in human history. She has shown that she is more than ready to lead on the toughest domestic and foreign policy issues, and to deliver for the American people. Having worked with the vice president both during her time in the Senate and in the Biden-Harris administration, I am confident that she has what it takes to beat Donald Trump.”