![What finally persuaded Biden to step aside? Inside the 'last-minute' decision that](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/22/01/87604471-0-image-a-12_1721607088307.jpg)
Joe Biden's decision Sunday to withdraw from the presidential race was last-minute. The 81-year-old president was isolating with COVID at his $3.4 million home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, when he and his shrinking inner circle composed a letter saying it was time to step aside. Donors had pulled millions of dollars in funds, the list of Democrats telling him to drop out was growing by the day, and polls suggested that his chances of beating Donald Trump were dwindling after his disastrous debate performance. The First Lady Jill Biden was there when her husband eventually made the historic call, giving into mounting pressure. The question now is what pushed Biden to finally make the extraordinary move that blindsided some of his White House staff and most of the people working on his re-election campaign.