Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he is stepping out of the US presidential election, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s new nominee. This unexpected decision significantly alters the dynamics of the 2024 race for the White House.
At 81, Biden faced increasing pressure from Democrats following a poor debate performance. His withdrawal, after weeks of deliberation, introduces new uncertainty into the election, especially in the contest against Republican Donald Trump.
“While it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden stated in a letter on X, while recovering from COVID-19 at his Delaware beach house. He promised to address the nation later in the week to elaborate on his decision.
Biden expressed his support for Harris, the first female, Black, and South Asian vice president in US history, now aiming to become the first female commander-in-chief. “Today, I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year,” he said on X. “Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
Biden’s decision is historic, marking the first time a sitting president has withdrawn so late in an election race, and the first to do so over concerns about mental acuity and health. Trump’s reaction was swift, asserting that Biden was never “fit to run” or “fit to serve” as president.
The pressure on Biden to step down intensified after the June 27 debate, despite his resistance and efforts to demonstrate his capability through interviews and a major press conference. However, his performance, marred by gaffes such as mistakenly calling Harris “Vice President Trump,” further fueled calls for his withdrawal. Influential voices from within his party, including actor George Clooney and former president Barack Obama, ultimately swayed him.
Biden’s withdrawal came shortly after being diagnosed with COVID-19, which forced him off the campaign trail and into isolation. This decision adds to a turbulent period in US politics, with Trump having survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally on July 13.
Biden now joins a select group of US presidents who opted not to seek a second term, the last being Lyndon Johnson in 1968, a year also fraught with political unrest and violence. Johnson’s successor as nominee, then-vice president Hubert Humphrey, lost heavily to Richard Nixon. Democrats are hopeful that Harris will fare better and prevent Trump, a convicted felon, from making a dramatic return to the Oval Office.
Recent reports suggest that the Biden campaign has been quietly surveying voters to gauge Harris’s competitiveness against Trump. While Harris had a slow start in her vice presidency, she has recently gained momentum on the campaign trail, particularly on issues like abortion rights. Her unique position as the first woman and the first person of Black and South Asian descent to hold the vice presidency adds to her appeal.
Unless faced with significant opposition within her party, Harris is set to be nominated at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 19. This event promises to be both dramatic and poignant for Biden, who took office in January 2021 with a pledge to heal the “soul of America” after the tumultuous Trump era and the January 6 Capitol attack.
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