BEIJING, June 23. /TASS/. US President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the upcoming presidential election marks the beginning of the end of his political career, and signals a generational shift in American politics, Qian Feng, senior research fellow at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University and the Taihe Institute think tank, told TASS.

"Biden's withdrawal from the presidential race, as well as the selection of JD Vance as the Republican Party's candidate for the post of Vice President, has accelerated the process of 'out with the old, in with the new' in the political arena of the United States," the expert said.

According to Qian Feng, for Biden personally, the withdrawal from the presidential election "symbolizes the imminent end of his 50-year political career." "He also retains some dignity before coming out to bow to the audience after the curtain closes," the researcher pointed out. He also emphasized that this year’s presidential election is unlike any we’ve seen in a long time, with major "upheavals."

The expert recalled that Biden's decision creates a lot of uncertainty for the Democratic Party. In particular, it remains to be seen whether the incumbent president's withdrawal from the presidential race will help the Democrats salvage the election or any semblance of unity amid all the political turmoil.

Qian Feng says that the Democratic Party must now answer a singular question: can US Vice President Kamala Harris defeat Republican Donald Trump in the election, given that more than three months have passed since the start of the campaign? "We can expect the upcoming election to be a pressure-cooker," he added.

Consequences for US policy

The expert opined that Biden’s withdrawal from the race is a three-headed monster. "First, the Biden administration has signaled its last days. [Second is] the Trump team, which can now taste victory and is beginning to try its hand at diplomacy," Qian Feng explained. "And then there is Harris, coming to the rescue to try to lead the Democratic Party to re-election," he added.

According to the political scientist, in the near future, "domestic affairs will get more attention than diplomacy," and the foreign policy of the United States is increasingly sinking into "garbage time."

On July 21, Biden announced that he was withdrawing from the race. He said that it was "best for the party and the country." Biden will continue to serve as head of state until the end of his presidential term.