President Joe Biden said on Sunday that he is no longer running for reelection,clearing the way for a new Democratic candidate amid a tidal wave of concerns about his age and ability to challenge Donald Trump in November.
“It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve as your President,” he said in a letter. “And 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 to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”
As mentioned above, Biden stressed that he will still serve as president until the winner of the November election takes office. He also said that he will deliver an address to the country later this week about his decision.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024
The announcement will immediately throw the party’s nomination process into chaos with just weeks to go until the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. But immediately after releasing this letter, Biden posted a second statement officially endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him as the nominee.
The president and his allies had sought to quell fears about his age — Biden is 81 — following a disastrous first debate against Trump in Atlanta in June. The White House had blamed a cold and an intense international travel schedule for his performance. But despite assurances to lawmakers in Washington, fellow Democrats began to abandon his bid en masse as his poll numbers cratered and his donors began withholding their support.
Questions about his bid only mounted following the assassination attempt against Trump, a moment of collective horror that galvanised the former president’s base and further united his party at the Republican National Convention. Whoever wins the Democratic nomination will have to select a running mate who can go toe-to-toe with Senator JD Vance, Trump’s selection for vice president.
The president’s decision came after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) both privately met with him to air their concerns that the party could suffer a rounding defeat across the board in November should he stay in the race. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) also spoke with Biden to share troubling polling that showed his inability to defeat Trump.
Many allies who called for him to drop out had simultaneously praised Biden’s immense successes while occupying the White House, particularly as the president who had to clean up the so-called messes created by the Trump administration. In his letter, Biden touted those successes.
“I know none of this could have been done without you, the American people,” he wrote. “Together, we overcame a once in a century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We’ve protected and preserved our Democracy. And we’ve revitalised and strengthened our alliances around the world.”
Coupled with other figures that showed nearly two-thirds of Democrats wanted him to withdraw, Biden said he would do so for the good of the party.
“For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me reelected,” the president wrote. “I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me.”
Years of planning will now be moot and Democratic delegates will need to rally around a new candidate in August, with mere months to go until the election.
Even though Biden endorsed Harris, once he releases his pledged delegates they are free to nominate whoever they see fit at an open convention.
Harris could offer continuity, and she has been polling well in a potential matchup against Trump. Other candidates could include California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and past hopefuls like Sens. Cory Booker (N.J.) and Amy Klobuchar (Minn.).
Republicans across the board used their airtime at the RNC to savage Harris’ role in the White House, seeking to cast her as the Biden administration’s “border czar.” The vice president was not, in fact, appointed to any such post or tasked with solving the border crisis. But it’s shown how the Republican Party is already laying the groundwork to attack her on issues that they’ve been blaming on Biden.
Biden’s decision will also upend Trump’s own bid for reelection as he’s forced to face off against a new and likely younger opponent. He has maintained he will beat any Democrat the party puts forward.
