President Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race Sunday and threw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s new standard-bearer, a decision Democrats hailed as the act of a patriot who put his country over his self-interest.
Biden’s announcement ends weeks of hand-wringing among party leaders who urged him to leave the race after a disastrous debate performance last month left many Democrats fearing he was too old for office and unable to defeat former President Trump.
First lady Jill Biden and second gentleman Douglass Emhoff watch as President Joe Biden raises the hand of Vice President Kamala Harris as they view the Independence Day firework display over the National Mall from the balcony of the White House, Thursday, July 4, 2024, in Washington.
Harris, with Biden endorsement, says she intends to ‘earn and win this nomination’.
“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,” Biden said in a statement. He will address the nation later this week, he said.
A Harris-Trump contest would present a stark contrast between Harris — 59, Black, Asian and the first woman to serve as vice president — against the 78-year-old Trump, a convicted felon whose presidency and campaign have been laced with racist and misogynistic underpinnings. Trump would become the oldest president in office by the end of his term. Harris would be the first female president.
In his initial statement, Biden did not endorse Harris, but later threw his support behind her in a post on X.
“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. 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,” Biden wrote.
“I believe that there is great joy among people who recognize the historic nature of this election,” Kamala Harris said.
Biden just dropped out and endorsed Harris. What happens now?
In her own statement, Harris thanked Biden for his “extraordinary leadership.”
“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” she said. “I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party — and unite our nation — to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda.”
