Biden Drops Out Of Re-election Battle With Trump, Endorses Kamala Harris

 Biden Drops Out Of Re-election Battle With Trump, Endorses Kamala Harris

    

Joe Biden on Sunday dropped out of the US presidential election and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party's new nominee, in a political earthquake that upends an already extraordinary 2024 race for the White House.

Biden, 81, said he was acting in the "best interest of my party and the country" by bowing to weeks of pressure after a disastrous June debate against Donald Trump stoked worries about his age and mental fitness.

The stunning move throws Democrats into fresh turmoil ahead of the November 5 election. But it could also reenergize the demoralized party, with Harris swiftly confirming her goal to become America's first woman president and to "defeat Donald Trump."

Trump reacted with a stream of posts on his Truth Social network, saying that because Biden is not "fit to run" for president, he is also not "fit to serve."

However, the dramatic shift will wrong-foot Republicans, whose campaign was solely focused on Biden and will now instead feature 78-year-old Trump -- the oldest presidential nominee in US history -- up against a far younger opponent.

The move also transforms what had been a highly unpopular and dragging Trump-Biden rematch into one of the most compelling presidential campaigns in modern American politics.

Biden's withdrawal was widely expected at one point. The announcement finally came without warning while he was recovering from COVID-19 at his Delaware beach house. In a letter published on

X, Biden said being president was the "greatest honor of my life." He said he planned to address the nation later this week. The White House later announced that no public events were scheduled for Monday.

"While it has always been my intention to run for reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of the party and the country if I step down and devote the remainder of my term to performing the duties of the presidency," he wrote.

Soon after, he expressed his "full support and endorsement" of Harris, and his campaign filed an official notice changing its name to "Harris for President."

Almost immediately, expressions of support for Harris poured in, not only from Democratic Party officials but also from those seen as potential rivals for the nomination, such as California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Meanwhile, Democratic fundraising group ActBlue reported that Harris had received $27.5 million in donations from small donors in just five hours.

"Unite the Nation"

Democrats must now rush to endorse their new candidate at their party's convention in Chicago on August 19.

Harris, the first Black and South Asian vice president in U.S. history, praised Biden's "selfless and patriotic act" and vowed that Biden will "earn and win." Former Democratic President Barack Obama, who still wields great influence, warned that "uncharted waters" awaited.

Biden's decision came after a period of forced isolation at his Rehoboth Beach home, where he had few family or staff around to consult while recovering from COVID-19.

First Lady Jill Biden responded simply by reposting her statement with two hearts.

In a clear sign of how Republicans will try to portray Harris, Trump's new running mate J.D. Vance said Biden was "the worst president of my lifetime" "every step of the way."

"Mental deterioration"

Biden's decision to step down capped a tense and confusing phase of the US election campaign. Trump survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally on July 13, but Democrats had been divided for weeks over whether Biden should step down.

He is the first Democrat in U.S. history to have a president withdraw so late into an election campaign.

After the shock of the June 27 debate, Biden resisted calls for his resignation for more than three weeks, during which he often seemed lost and stood with his mouth open.

Meanwhile, Harris struggled to make an impression in her first years in the White House, but performed well on key issues such as abortion during the campaign.

In recent weeks, the Biden team has reportedly been secretly conducting surveys of voters comparing Trump, a former California prosecutor, to a convicted felon.

Biden took office in January 2021, promising to heal the "soul of America" ​​after four tumultuous years under the Trump administration and the shock of the January 6, 2021, storming of the Capitol by his supporters.

Former Vice President Obama, known for his gaffes, strongly supported Ukraine's fight against Russian aggression in 2022 and pushed through a massive COVID-19 recovery plan and historic subsidies for green industries.