US President Joe Biden offered his “full support and endorsement” for Vice-President Kamala Harris as the presidential nominee for the Democratic Party.
US President Joe Biden endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee after opting out of the race on Sunday, ending his re-election bid following a recent disastrous debate with Donald Trump that raised doubts about Biden’s fitness for office.
The President called upon his party to unite behind Harris, while the Vice-President praised Biden’s “selfless and patriotic act” and said she intends to “earn and win” her party’s nomination.
“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 decision I’ve made,” the 81-year-old President said in a post on X.
“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,” he added in the post.
Notably, if Biden’s endorsement is accepted, Kamala Harris will become the first Indian-origin woman to contest the US presidential elections.
Meanwhile, Vice President Harris said she was honored to have Biden’s endorsement and that she intends to “earn and win this nomination.”
Harris released a statement calling Biden’s decision to end his campaign a “selfless and patriotic act.” She also thanked Biden for his “extraordinary leadership” and argued that his legacy as a one-term president would surpass the records of many chief executives who served two terms in office.
Biden announced his decision to drop out of the US presidential election race moments before endorsing Harris and said in a statement that it was “in the best interest of the country” for him to “stand down.”
On Sunday, in a statement posted on X, Biden said that he would now solely focus on fulfilling his duties as the President of the United States for the remainder of his term.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek re-election, 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,” he said.
Biden’s decision to drop out of the race came after pressure from Democratic lawmakers and party officials following his weak performance in the first presidential debate against Republican candidate Donald Trump.
Why Did Joe Biden Exit the 2024 US Presidential Race?
US President Joe Biden on Sunday announced that he will be dropping out of the US presidential race, endorsing Kamala Harris. Biden’s decision to drop out of the presidential race came after his poor debate performance against Donald Trump and repeated jabs from the Republican Party about his “inability” to complete another term as president. The debate debacle also led many Democrat lawmakers to urge Biden to withdraw as the presidential candidate.
What Happened in the Hours Before Joe Biden Dropped Out?
The first person to receive a call from Joe Biden exiting from his re-election bid was Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday, reported The Washington Post. Joe Biden also held one-to-one meetings with White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients and his campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon.
Zients called for a meeting of Joe Biden’s campaign staff and White House staff for 1:45 p.m., so that the US President could brief them on his decision. The Chief of Staff made a formal announcement regarding the same to the entire White House staff at around 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Reactions and Future Implications
Biden’s decision comes after a disastrous debate performance on June 27 against Trump exposed his age-related deficits and triggered a crescendo of voices within his party, from donors, and among voters for a change in the Democratic ticket. While Biden had maintained that he wouldn’t quit, over the past two weeks, an increasing number of Congressional representatives, Senators, and party elders made it clear that his candidacy was unviable. The assassination bid on Trump and a successful Republican convention added to Trump’s already existing lead in the elections, including in swing states, according to polls.
Trump, meanwhile, told CNN that he thinks Harris will be easier to defeat than Biden. A CNN reporter said on X that Trump made the comments to the network shortly after Biden announced his decision.
In his letter, Biden spoke of what he saw as the achievements of his time in office — on the economy, infrastructure, health care, gun safety, climate, and more. “Together we overcame a once in a century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We have protected and preserved our democracy. And we have revitalized and strengthened our alliances around the world.”
Biden said he would address the nation later in the week.
Uncertainty Ahead for the Democratic Party
The President’s decision throws an already unprecedented election into uncertainty. Whether Harris becomes the clear undisputed choice, or whether there is an open convention in Chicago in August where other contenders compete to win the support of delegates for the nomination isn’t clear. It also creates uncertainty about the fundraising that the Biden campaign has amassed so far, changes the nature of messaging around the election, and will force the Democrats to completely alter their campaign.
For her part, Harris became the first — and so far the only — Indian-American to be elected to the Senate. She threw her hat in the Democratic presidential primaries in 2020 but her campaign collapsed early in the process. But Biden picked her as his running mate, in a signal to the Black community as well as the women vote. In her time in office, Harris has become the most vocal spokesperson of the administration on abortion, taking on the Supreme Court’s decision to remove the national protection to abortion. She has also been extensively campaigning in swing states in recent months.
But Republicans have cast her as the “border czar,” placing the blame for the increase in illegal immigration from the Southern border on her. This stemmed from an early decision in Biden’s term where he asked her to address underlying roots of migration from Central and South America.
Harris has come under criticism for high rates of attrition of her staff and being unable to carve out a distinct image, a criticism her supporters say is unfair given the nature of the vice presidency. They also attribute the negative perceptions around her to do with racism and sexism. But if she wins the nomination, Harris will now have the difficult challenge of unifying her party, raising funds, carving out a distinct message about her personality and priorities, mobilizing the base and winning over swing voters, and defeating an energized Trump — all in four months.
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