evidence: In the end, President Joe Biden exited the political stage in isolation. [...] Biden’s final decision to leave the race was reached in the last 48 hours, a senior campaign adviser said, as he consulted family and top advisers by telephone while recovering from Covid. A source familiar with the matter said the plans to exit the race began Saturday night and were finalized Sunday. [...] "While the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden’s alone, I believe it is time for him to pass the torch," Schiff said in a statement.