In a stunning decision that has upended the already dramatic race for the White House, US President Joe Biden has ended his re-election campaign and endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate. This announcement marks the culmination of a tumultuous period in US politics, which began with Biden’s sometimes incoherent debate performance against Donald Trump on June 27th.
In a written statement released on Sunday, Biden, 81, expressed that it was the “greatest honor” to serve but stated that his withdrawal was “in the best interest of my party and the country.” He plans to remain president until January. Harris, 59, responded to the endorsement by expressing her gratitude and asserting her determination to earn and win the nomination, as well as unite the country against Trump. With 107 days until election day, she called for a united front in the fight ahead.
While Harris has been gaining endorsements from prominent figures within the Democratic Party, formal nomination may not happen until the Democratic National Convention in August. Meanwhile, Republican nominee Donald Trump has experienced a resurgence in polling and was confirmed as the Republican nominee at the party’s convention in Milwaukee last week, just days after surviving an assassination attempt.
Following Biden’s decision, Trump and other senior Republicans criticized him, claiming he was not fit to run or serve as president. Even some White House staff and campaign officials were reportedly only informed moments before the public statement was released on Sunday afternoon; however, Biden had spoken to Harris and a select few others beforehand.
The decision was met with immediate praise from numerous senior Democrats and party leaders, including former president Barack Obama, Senate leader Chuck Schumer, and former House speaker Nancy Pelosi. Former president Bill Clinton and 2016 Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton also announced their support for Harris as the party’s candidate for the upcoming election. The Biden endorsement has garnered unified support within the party, even from politicians who were previously considered potential rivals for the nomination.
With the Democratic National Committee amending the names of its fundraising committees to the Harris Victory Fund and Harris Action Fund, major Democratic donors, such as Reid Hoffman and Alexander Soros, publicly endorsed Harris. Conversely, within hours of Biden’s announcement, the pro-Trump super-PAC, Make America Great Again, released an advert attacking Harris.
Biden’s withdrawal comes after facing intense scrutiny since his June debate performance, which raised concerns within his own party. Despite these challenges, he hosted a high-profile summit with Nato leaders in Washington less than two weeks ago. In recent media appearances, Biden made several gaffes, mistakenly introducing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin” and referring to Harris as “Vice President Trump.” Speculation about his health condition also arose after he indicated that only the “Lord Almighty” could make him withdraw, but later stated that he would consider doing so if he had a health issue. After testing positive for Covid and isolating, Biden announced on Friday that he would soon resume his campaign trail.
In his statement on Sunday, Biden expressed his gratitude to Harris, calling her an “extraordinary partner,” and thanked the American people for their faith and trust in him. He reiterated his belief that there is nothing America can’t accomplish when united, emphasizing that the United States of America is stronger together.
Following Biden’s withdrawal, the Democratic National Committee held an emergency meeting on Sunday evening. Moving forward, all eyes will be on the party’s national convention, scheduled to take place on August 19th. The delegates initially pledged to vote for Biden are now potentially up for grabs, introducing an element of uncertainty to the upcoming convention.