Joe Biden’s 52 years in electoral politics came to an abrupt and abrupt end with this decision, as politicians, funders, and even close advisors communicated to him their reservations about his ability to persuade voters that he could legitimately serve another four years in office.
US President Joe Biden pulled out of the reelection race on Sunday, handily losing to Republican contender Donald Trump in a significant win for the latter. This put the presidential contest in an unprecedented position. In an X post, Biden stated that he will continue to serve as president and commander-in-chief until the conclusion of his term in January 2025 and that he will address the country this coming week.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024
Biden endorses Kamala Harris as Democratic Party candidate
He makes room for Vice President Kamala Harris to run at the top of the ticket, becoming the first Black woman to do so in the history of the nation, by withdrawing his candidacy for reelection. When he made his announcement, Biden, 81, did not bring her up. It was unknown if Harris, who was seen as the front-runner by many party insiders, would face competition from other prominent Democrats for the party’s candidacy, or if the party would decide to invite nominations.
My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. 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… pic.twitter.com/x8DnvuImJV
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024
“My fellow Democrats, I have decided to forego accepting the nomination and devote all of my attention to carrying out my presidential duties for the balance of my term. As the 2020 party nominee, Kamala Harris was my first choice for vice president. It’s been the wisest choice I’ve ever made. I would want to formally support and endorse Kamala for our party’s nomination this year. It’s time for Democrats to unite and defeat Trump. Let’s get this done “On social media, he posted.
What led Biden to pull out of the 2024 race?
Following a barrage of both public and private pressure from Democratic politicians and party executives to withdraw from the campaign following his startlingly subpar showing in a televised debate versus Republican opponent Donald Trump last month, Biden made his declaration. A slow-boil rebellion among congressional Democrats and some powerful contributors, who feel the president lacks the ability to unseat Trump after his lackluster performance in the previous month’s presidential debate, was difficult for the president to quell.
Amidst rumors and worries regarding his age, Biden declared his candidacy for reelection in April.
Why did Biden choose Harris as his filler?
The fact that Harris,59, is the only contender who has direct access to the Biden campaign’s war chest because of federal campaign finance regulations made her seem like the obvious choice to succeed Biden. Harris benefits from Biden’s support, but a seamless transition is not guaranteed.
The Democratic National Convention is set to take place in Chicago from August 19–22, however prior to the in-person events, the party declared that it would formally nominate Biden by a virtual roll call. It was unclear if other contenders would fight Harris for the nomination or if the party would need to make additional rule changes to facilitate Harris’ nomination on the floor.
A request for a reaction to Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race was not immediately answered by Trump’s campaign, but he and his team had made it clear that they would have preferred to take on Biden. However, as pressure mounted on Biden to resign, his team increased its efforts against Harris.
