Egyptian vice president Omar Suleiman announced Friday that President Hosni Mubarak has stepped down. Suleiman made the announcement to the country in a brief televised statement.

"My fellow citizens. In this difficult time that the country is going through, the president Mohamed Hosni Mubarak has decided to relieve himself of his position as president and the Supreme military council has taken control of the state's affairs. May God protect us," Suleiman said.

The White House said in a statement Obama "was informed of President Mubarak's decision to step down during a meeting in the Oval Office. He then watched TV coverage of the scene in Cairo for several minutes in the outer Oval."

Obama will make a televised statement at 1:30 p.m. est.

On Thursday, Mubarak went on state television and declined to step down; less than a day later the long time Egyptian ruler was gone from Cairo.