U.S. President Joe Biden (left) and Vice President Kamala Harris hold hands while watching the Independence Day fireworks in Washington, DC, on July 4, 2024. PHOTO: AFP
In Summary:
1) Biden ends his re-election campaign, citing “the best interest of my party and the country.”
2) Democratic Party faces historic effort to find a new candidate, with Biden endorsing Harris..
President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he will not seek re-election, bringing his five-decade-long political career to an abrupt end and upending the race for the White House just four months before Election Day.
Biden, 81, struggled to counter growing sentiment within his party that he was too old to effectively serve another term and that he was unlikely to defeat Donald Trump in November.
In a letter posted on X, Biden stated, “While I intended to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to step down and focus on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”
He added, “I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision.”
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024
Shortly after the announcement, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination.
In a social media post, he wrote, “My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
It’s important to note that while Biden has endorsed Harris, he cannot appoint a nominee.
An emergency meeting of senior Democratic National Committee members was reportedly taking place on Sunday to address the situation.
Biden’s decision to withdraw less than a month before his party’s convention is unprecedented in modern political history.
Barbara Perry, a presidential studies professor at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center, commented, “We’re in uncharted waters. No president has dropped out or died this close to the convention.”
The Democratic Party now faces internal turmoil as various factions vie for the nomination. While Harris is now Biden’s endorsed candidate, other potential contenders include Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Former President Donald Trump, who was officially nominated by the Republican Party on Thursday night, reacted to the news by calling Mr. Biden “the worst president by far in the history of our country.”
However, he also stated that he believed Harris would be easier to defeat than Biden.