Pinned
WASHINGTON—Democrats are reacting to President Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the 2024 race for the presidency, thanking the president for his service.
Some immediately endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, whom the president backed after announcing his decision to withdraw on July 21. Others did not mention Ms. Harris, suggesting support for an open nomination process.
Former President Barack Obama praised President Joe Biden after he decided Sunday to suspend his reelection campaign.
“I also know Joe has never backed down from a fight. For him to look at the political landscape and decide that he should pass the torch to a new nominee is surely one of the toughest in his life,” former President Obama wrote. “But I know he wouldn’t make this decision unless he believed it was right for America.”
Members of President Joe Biden’s family said they are proud of him after he announced on Sunday he is dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.
The president issued a statement on X announcing that it is “in the best interest of my party and the country” to suspend his reelection campaign, with just a few months to go before the November general election.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) revealed its top priority after President Joe Biden announced Sunday he won’t seek reelection for president.
Democratic National Committee chairman Jaime Harrison said in a statement that Democrats will “undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward as a united Democratic Party with a candidate who can defeat” former President Donald Trump, the Republican Party’s nominee for president, in the November election.
“This process will be governed by established rules and procedures of the party,” Mr. Harrison added. “Our delegates are prepared to take seriously their responsibility in swiftly delivering a candidate to the American people.”
Biden Drops Out
President Joe Biden on July 21 dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, for the Democratic nomination.“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.”
Some Democratic donors, lawmakers, and celebrities had called on President Biden to drop out as the party nominee, scrutinizing his performance in the first presidential debate with former President Donald Trump on June 27 and expressing concern for his viability in November. The president had repeatedly said he had a “bad night,” was not sufficiently prepared, and initially committed to staying in the race.
“I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision,” the president said in his letter.
“For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me reelected. 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.”
“I believe today what I always have: that there is nothing America can’t do—when we do it together. We just have to remember we are the United States of America,” the president said.
In another post, the president stated that he has endorsed Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s nominee.
“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,” he said. “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.”
The president made the announcement while in self-isolation due to COVID-19.
President Biden tested positive for the virus on July 17 in Las Vegas during campaign events. He canceled his events and returned to his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, to self-isolate during recovery the same day.
“His symptoms have improved significantly. His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and temperature remain absolutely normal,” his doctor said in the most recent letter.
The lawmakers who had publicly stated they believe President Biden should not seek reelection were those who are facing tough elections this year in competitive swing districts.
Media reports have also suggested that various Democratic elites, including former President Barack Obama, U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), had privately urged President Biden to drop out as the nominee.
Mr. Tester expressed appreciation for the president’s “commitment to public service and our country” but believes “President Biden should not seek re-election to another term.”
He joined Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who’s running for California’s open Senate seat. Mr. Schiff urged the president to pass the torch to another candidate to “secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election.”
Mr. Tester became the second U.S. senator after Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) to reject the president’s reelection bid. Mr. Welch, in an op-ed in the Washington Post, wrote, “For the good of the country, I’m calling on President Biden to withdraw from the race.”
Today’s announcement to drop out of the race ends more than three weeks of speculation over his candidacy and future in the 2024 election. Multiple media reports, citing anonymous sources close to the president, suggested that he was becoming receptive to the calls from other Democrats to pass the torch to another candidate.
Initially, campaign officials rejected those rumors. T.J. Ducklo, senior adviser for communications, called the reports “baseless conjecture from anonymous sources” in a July 18 post on X.
White House senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates also pushed back against a report suggesting that President Biden would drop out in a matter of days.
“Incorrect. Keep the faith,” he wrote in a July 18 post responding to the report, adding that the president would return to the campaign trail in the following week.