President Joe Biden can still do an "enormous amount of good in the world," but he must "make the right decision" and quit the presidential race, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson said Friday.
"For him, standing down now wouldn't have to mean the end of a lifetime in public service," Brandon wrote in a message on the Virgin website. "He could still do enormous good in the world. But his desire to carry on has created a dangerous distraction from the issues this presidential race should really focus on. It's not too late to make the right decision now and step aside – for America and for the free world."
The British billionaire wrote that as a global citizen he's watching the discussion about the election and Biden's political future with "growing unease," as others around the world are.
"The U.S. presidency holds unprecedented power and influence, even in this increasingly multipolar world," Branson said. "U.S. policy, for better or worse, has tremendous implications for the rest of us, especially for humanity's capacity to confront the challenges that can only be tackled collectively, like climate change or the rising threats to global security."
That makes it "prudent" for outside observers to speak out about the election and Biden, he added, while praising him as having been an "extraordinary president" who has led the U.S. through "a host of difficult challenges."
Branson said the international community is also impressed by Biden's steadfast support for Ukraine and helping it fight back against Russia.
"Domestically, a wide range of comprehensive legislative packages have set the U.S. economy on a strong growth path following the devastating COVID pandemic, putting more Americans into work than ever before," Branson said, adding that Biden has gotten inflation under control.
Further, he praised the president's decision to rejoin the Paris Climate Accords.
Branson applauded Biden's protection of abortion rights and "pushing back against an extremist agenda that is putting the health and safety of millions of women and girls at risk."
Despite the long record of accomplishments, said Branson, "Biden's presidency and legacy [are] now at risk. Now is the time that he should consider what's at stake and step back from another run. Whether in politics or in business, a true hallmark of forward-looking leadership is to build a lasting legacy, and that includes knowing when to hand over the baton to a younger generation that can take over and move the country and humanity forward."
Branson's comments come as the calls are growing stronger against Biden remaining in the race, including on Friday, when top donors to the Democratic Party said they will withhold about $90 million in promised donations unless Biden steps away from the campaign.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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