First Biden, now Kishida: Scandal-plagued Japanese prime minister stepping down

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stunned his country Wednesday by announcing he is stepping down after just three years, bowing to voter frustration over rising inflation and political scandals that tarnished Japan’s long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

“Politics cannot function without public trust,” Kishida told a news conference. 

“We need to clearly show an LDP reborn,” added. “In order to show a changing LDP, the most obvious first step is for me to bow out.”

Kishida’s approval had dipped below 20% and his decision not to run in the September party leadership vote clears the way for Japan to have a new prime minister for his party to reboot after a series of ethics scandals.

The departure came just a month after American President Joe Biden also dropped from the presidential race after securing enough votes for the Democratic nomination, open the door for Vice President Kamala Harris to run in the fall