Since his abysmal performance at the first debate last month, the calls for Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential election have grown increasingly hard to ignore. While Biden and other Democrats initially indicated they planned to stay the course, it seems they finally caved to public pressure. Just three days after the Washington Post reported that Obama told allies he was concerned about Biden’s “viability,” President Biden announced he was officially bowing out of the race.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president,” Biden said Sunday in a statement. “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.”
Much is still up in the air — including who will replace him on the Democratic ticket, though he endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris in a separate X post. But for now, the memes are good. Here are the best reactions so far:
got the Biden news from the nutcracker guy at the Rockaways
— Kate Taylor (@Kate_H_Taylor) July 21, 2024
Finding out Biden dropped out of the race via two competing chain texts is very much the state of Gen Z sksksks
— Aiyana N. Ishmael (@aiyanaish) July 21, 2024
Biden at the morning’s staff meeting pic.twitter.com/zKPU9Mn5Ig
— Ira (@iramadisonthree) July 21, 2024
Oh my god we’re actually unburdened by what has been https://t.co/wBfg3meuw3
— Cassie Pritchard (again) (@hecubian_devil) July 21, 2024
Vice President Harris needs to do the right thing and nominate Commander Biden to be her running mate
— Erin "Skeleton Factory" Ryan (@morninggloria) July 21, 2024
Jimmy Carter’s phone rings. “You want me to what?”
— Richard Lawson (@rilaws) July 21, 2024
Would have done anything to be in the meeting where they brainstormed what emoji reaction Jill Biden should post in response to her husband dropping out of the presidential race. pic.twitter.com/LE1XGIN5xP
— Sophie Vershbow (@svershbow) July 21, 2024
Liza Minnelli has outlived Joe Biden's race for re-election. After weeks of pressure from fellow Democrats, he is stepping down as the party's nominee for President.
— LizaMinnelliOutlives (@LiZaOutlives) July 21, 2024
my mentally unstable group chat that sends each other coconut memes pic.twitter.com/fh5kfgfKvn
— JP (@jpbrammer) July 21, 2024
‘Parks & Recreation’ star Joe Biden has announced he will no longer be running for President. pic.twitter.com/PZHRdnFsS8
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 21, 2024
joe biden is out its her time to shine now pic.twitter.com/nc1pVnBcea
— ༘⋆jasmine 66 (@whitehotbIvd) July 21, 2024
me thinking about the weeks leading up to the DNC pic.twitter.com/FCI9VtsA3p
— Max Berlinger (@Berlinger) July 21, 2024
Today I become Khive. I don’t like her but I’ve stanned worse.
— egirl tashi duncan (@xoxogossipgita) July 21, 2024
Kamala getting out her favorite Converse rn.
— Ashley Reese (@offbeatorbit) July 21, 2024
https://t.co/hOvdSW4a5e pic.twitter.com/6jdBq4cCeq
— aaron from queens ???????? (@aaronnarraph) July 21, 2024
The content that will be unleashed if Biden gives the green light pic.twitter.com/ilL3nJqQv9
— umichvoter ????️???? (@umichvoter) July 20, 2024
Imma need the AKAs to get this done for America.
— Lisa Lucas (@likaluca) July 21, 2024
Maya Rudolph on that next phone call with Lorne Michaels pic.twitter.com/p6mvDon4EJ
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) July 21, 2024
the secret service swarms into Dimes Square and pulls Ella Emhoff into a bulletproof Suburban. “Flamingo is secure.”
— nolan (@anxiousdeluxe) July 21, 2024
the arc of the coconut tree is long, but it bends towards justice
— Shaun (shaunvids on bsky) (@shaun_vids) July 21, 2024
You say it's Joever; I say it's just Kamencing. pic.twitter.com/xuGv8KM949
— Dan Cluchey (@dancluchey) July 21, 2024
Hey… don’t know if you heard about Biden dropping out but it sort of reminded me of you dropping out of my life… what are you up to later
— Lolo (@LolOverruled) July 21, 2024
Biden’s note is so powerful pic.twitter.com/3oG9W9mLGU
— Garrett Williams, BFA (@badboygargar) July 21, 2024
https://t.co/KLKG20ywxI pic.twitter.com/iozCs2FUUg
— ????️ - ????| they/them (@DaShaunLH) July 21, 2024
There is a certain poetry in Biden’s covid infection having basically erased any chance he had to bounce back at a time when he seemed ready to double down. For a president who tried to wish the pandemic away to have his political career end with a covid infection.. priceless https://t.co/XGrOdLZchM
— Artie Vierkant (@avierkant) July 21, 2024
Telenovela ass month in American politics
— Jack Herrera (@jherrerx) July 21, 2024
Biden? Out.
— Khalid El Khatib (@kmelkhat) July 21, 2024
Group chats? Crazy.
Future? Uncertain.
Me? pic.twitter.com/3RHDYGmBLa
Well of course he's pulling out, he's Irish Catholic
— doctor acula (@Beardynoise) July 21, 2024
Can’t even move to Canada because I been yelling “they not like us” to them for months
— Ashley K. (@AshleyKSmalls) July 21, 2024
on the first anniversary of the barbie movie this can only mean one thing pic.twitter.com/pEWDrTl9xX
— Bunky (@bunkytv_) July 21, 2024
— eric curtin (@_ericcurtin) July 21, 2024
The way Jack Schlossberg had to evacuate his kayak just now so that he could write a Vogue post about this
— Harry Hill (@veryharryhill) July 21, 2024
my brother had to take that bev to go???? https://t.co/58ZXQI7IPK pic.twitter.com/BVqBw6rQWN
— jordan (@jrosethereturn) July 21, 2024
Never doubting astrologers again. Like so many claimed Biden and Trump would have life-altering experiences in July.
— Raquel Willis (she/her) (@RaquelWillis_) July 21, 2024
This is really and truly how I learned pic.twitter.com/iarYqsr13E
— Read Jackson Rising (@JoshuaPHilll) July 21, 2024
This post has been updated.
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