Joe Biden Withdraws from The 2024 Presidential Race
Amid significant party pressure, President Biden announced his decision to suspend his campaign and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place.
President Joe Biden has concluded his re-election campaign and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to succeed him as the Democratic candidate, marking a significant and unexpected turn in the already dramatic race for the White House.
In a letter posted on his X account released on Sunday, Mr. Biden expressed that serving was his greatest honor but that his decision to withdraw was made "for the good of my party and the nation." This announcement concludes a turbulent period in U.S. politics, triggered by his disjointed debate with Donald Trump on June 27. Mr. Biden intends to continue as president until January.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024
Several prominent Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, promptly endorsed Harris. However, in their statements responding to Biden's decision, some did not specifically mention the vice president, such as former President Barack Obama. Others explicitly advocated for an open process to determine Biden's successor at the top of the ticket.
Later on Sunday, the Biden-Harris campaign formally updated its filings with the Federal Election Commission to rename its principal committee as "Harris for President." However, Harris's position as the presidential candidate is not assured. The nominee will be chosen by delegates at the Democratic National Convention. Despite Biden's previous overwhelming delegate support from the primary process earlier this year, delegates are now free to select any candidate, and Biden cannot simply transfer his support to Harris.
This marks the first instance in decades of a one-term US president opting not to pursue reelection, reminiscent of President Lyndon Johnson's choice not to seek a second full term in 1968, albeit Biden's decision comes later in the campaign cycle than Johnson's. This development adds to the series of surprising events in a deeply intense political campaign that also included an assassination attempt on Trump's life.
The president's departure from the race marks the end of a political career spanning fifty years, during which Biden entered as one of the youngest senators in US history and now exits as its oldest president.