Gen Z wanted Biden gone. Now we have to prove this is the best way to beat Trump.

I was not looking forward to voting for Joe Biden.

I struggled to support him in 2020 when a full Democratic primary provided younger or more progressive options. This year, I struggled with his response to the Israel-Hamas war. In the past few weeks, I struggled with concerns over his age and mental acuity.

I was ready to accept Biden as the nominee, but I was going to hold my nose and vote for him to keep Donald Trump from ever reaching the White House again. On Sunday, Biden solved my moral dilemma by dropping out of the race.

In Biden's letter, the president said it was “in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”

He’s right ? this is the best decision for the country. In doing this, Biden is cementing his legacy as a decent president. In doing so, he is also doing something that Trump could never do ? putting his own ego aside for the best of the nation. He also could awaken the Gen Z progressives who were never big fans of his but also want Trump to go away.

As Biden drops out, he should celebrate his administration's wins

Biden can now celebrate his wins as president. He led the country through the remainder of the COVID-19 pandemic, improved our economy, signed major climate and gun legislation, declassified marijuana and canceled student debt for millions of people.

He has done what he could with his time as president. I believe that we are better under his administration than we ever would have been had Trump won the 2020 presidential election. Despite my initial qualms, I believe that Biden's win was a good thing.

Biden drops out: Democrats can finally focus on beating Trump.

Whether it was his bad polling, Democrats calling for him to step aside or news coverage that led to Biden’s dropping out, the decision was always going to be his alone. Stepping down from the presidential race had to have been a difficult decision and one that requires a level of humility.

I applaud Biden for that.

Gen Z will be reenergized and ready to support Democrats

For months, I’ve heard from other young people that there was no good option in this year’s election. Trump is a nonstarter, and Biden was clearly out of touch with what young progressives wanted, especially on issues such as Israel. There has been a sense of apathy among those of us who have helped deliver Democratic victories after Trump was elected in 2016.

The polls reinforce what I've heard. According to one NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll from May, Biden had just a 24% approval rating among voters ages 18-29.

GOP can beat Kamala: Biden is out, but Trump, GOP won't have to change their message. Harris isn't much better.

This is the best thing for Gen Z voters who felt helpless in the face of a decision between two old men. Now, it’s up to young progressives to prove to the country that this was the right move by delivering a win to Democrats in November.

Gen-Z for Change, a nonprofit focused on mobilizing young voters, said it would begin the work needed to get Vice President Kamala Harris elected. I assume we’ll see similar commitments from other youth organizations in the coming days.

If Harris is the nominee, I’m excited to see if it remotivates Generation Z, those born between 1997 to 2012. I hope it does.

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This is the best decision for the Democratic Party, and I am happy that Biden finally made it.

It’s time for progressive Gen Z voters to help Democrats defeat Trump on Election Day. We wanted this to happen. Now, we have to prove it was needed and the correct path forward to beating Trump.

Follow USA TODAY elections columnist Sara Peque?o on X, formerly Twitter: @sara__pequeno

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden dropping out is a gift to Gen Z: Energize voters and beat Trump