TEXAS — President Joe Biden’s move to exit the presidential race comes ahead of his visit to the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum in Austin on Monday. He’ll commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act.

Biden’s withdrawal from the race draws parallels to Central Texas native Lyndon Baines Johnson’s decision to not seek re-election more than 50 years ago.

 “I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your president,” President Johnson said in a televised speech on March 31, 1968. 

Biden echoed similar sentiments in his address to the nation Wednesday night. 

“I’ve decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That’s the best way to unite our nation,” President Biden said. 

Both Biden and LBJ faced pressure from within their own party to step aside and were ultimately praised for exiting their races. 

“These are two men whose whole lives were tied up with politics and who wanted to be president. And then they arrive at a certain point in their presidencies where they feel pressure to step down,” said Mark Lawrence, director of the LBJ Library and Museum and a presidential historian. “That said, I think it’s fair to say that President Biden has stepped aside for reasons of physical frailty while LBJ’s decision was a bit more complicated.” 

Lawrence added that while LBJ had health concerns stemming from a heart attack in 1955, it was the protests over Vietnam that ultimately led to his decision to drop out. 

Click the video link above to watch our full interview with Lawrence.