President Joe Biden yesterday officially announced that he was bowing out of the 2024 presidential race, yielding to pressure that’s been building over the past month.
“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.”
![President Joe Biden speaks at the 115th NAACP National Convention at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas on July 16, 2024. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F07%2F21%2Fid5691137-GettyImages-2162319822-LS-1200x765.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
Biden immediately endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take over the ticket.
“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,” Biden wrote in a statement released shortly after he announced he was dropping his bid for a second term.
“Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year.”
He ended the statement with a call for unity among Democrats after nearly a month of division.
“Democrats—it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this,” Biden said.
Democrats were quick to react to the news with praise and admiration for Biden.
“Joe Biden has not only been a great president and a great legislative leader but he’s a truly amazing human being,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wrote in a post on X. “His decision of course was not easy, but he once again put his country, his party, and our future first.”
“Joe, today shows you are a true patriot and great American.”
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) wrote in a social media post, “God blessed America with Joe Biden’s greatness and goodness.”
In another statement, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) called Biden “one of the most accomplished and consequential leaders in American history.”
“America is a better place today because President Joe Biden has led us with intellect, grace and dignity,” Jeffries added. “We are forever grateful.”
Plenty of Democrats have thrown their support behind Harris, including those who had been named an possible replacements to Bidne. The vice president announced her intention to “earn and win this nomination” not long after news of Biden’s withdrawal.
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a joint statement they were “honored to join the President in endorsing Vice President Harris and will do whatever we can to support her,” adding that “America’s future depends on it.”
Some prominent Republicans, meanwhile, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) called on Biden to resign the presidency immediately.
“If Joe Biden can’t run for re-election, he is unable and unfit to serve as President of the United States. He must immediately resign,” Stefanik wrote in a statement.
With Biden’s backing, Harris has a good chance of clinching the nomination—but until the Democratic National Convention (DNC), the ultimate Democratic nominee remains uncertain.
The DNC is scheduled for Aug. 19–22 in Chicago, Illinois.
Originally, the event would have been a coronation for Biden as the Democratic nominee, but now the convention will see an open contest of nearly 4,700 delegates looking for a new challenger to pit against former President Donald Trump in November.
There was a flurry of good news for Harris in the aftermath of her boss’s withdrawal, as several of her theorized competitors quickly released statements endorsing her.
One of the most well-known of these, California Gov. Gavin Newsome, endorsed Harris within hours of Biden dropping out.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, another Democrat whose name had been thrown around, also gave his backing to Harris’s bid for the presidential nomination.
“Kamala Harris is a patriot worthy of our support and she will continue the work of generations of Americans who came before us to perfect our union, protect our democracy, and advance real freedom,” Shapiro said in a statement. “She has served the country honorably as Vice President and she is ready to be President.”
Still, others could decide to enter the race before then.
Due to Biden’s withdrawal after the primary season concluded, it will be up to party delegates to select a successor.
—Joseph Lord
BOOKMARKS
Trump took the lead in the presidential fundraising race in June for the first time this campaign season, The Epoch Times’ Austin Alonzo reported. Despite lingering uncertainty about who will replace Biden, the June haul represents Trump’s best financial showing yet, tearing down a key advantage held by Democrats across the rest of the cycle.
Trump and his running mate Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), held their first joint rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan on July 20. The Epoch Times’ Janice Hisle reported on the rally, Trump’s first since the near-miss on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13.
Biden’s decision to bow out of the 2024 presidential race shocked the political world. An article by Politico traces Biden’s final 24 hours as a candidate up to the moment he uploaded the historic letter announcing his withdrawal.
Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race was met with a financial windfall for Democrats, the New York Times reported. According to ActBlue, the fundraising arm of the Democratic Party, Democrats received over $30 million in donations following Biden’s announcement.