US President Joe Biden abandoned his bid for reelection under mounting pressure from Democrats and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s nominee.
Biden, 81, is the oldest person ever to hold the office of President of the United States. He stated that he would remain in office until his term expires on 20 January 2025. He also plans to address the nation this week.
Joe Biden, who has not been seen in public since testing positive for COVID-19 last week, has isolated himself at his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
While it has been my intention to seek reelection, 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’s failed debate performance on 27 June led his Democratic colleagues to call on him to withdraw from the race. Then, on 13 July, former President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt. Last week, Trump nominated uncompromising Republican Senator J.D. Vance, 39, as his vice presidential candidate.
Americans have expressed widespread dissatisfaction with a potential rematch between Biden and Trump in opinion polls. Shortly after Biden’s announcement, Trump told CNN:
Harris will be easier to beat than Joe Biden would have been.
Harris enters the race
For the first time in more than half a century, a sitting US president has declined his party’s nomination. If Harris, 59, becomes the nominee, she will become the first Black woman to lead the ticket from a major party in US history. A former California attorney general and former US senator, she ran unsuccessfully for president against Biden in 2020.
My intention is to earn and win this nomination. I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party — and unite our nation — to defeat Donald Trump.
Harris’ campaign officials, allies and supporters have begun calling to solicit delegate support for her nomination ahead of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago from 19 to 22 August, multiple sources said.
State Democratic party chairmen held a Sunday afternoon meeting to discuss supporting Harris as the party’s nominee. Some attendees claimed Harris enjoyed the full support of the chairmen.
Opposition to Biden’s campaign within his party has gained momentum over the past week, with 36 Democrats in Congress publicly calling for him to withdraw, prompted by concerns about his mental acuity.
Governor Gavin Newsom of California, who has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Biden at the top of the ticket, has endorsed Harris.
With our democracy at stake and our future on the line, no one is better to prosecute the case against Donald Trump’s dark vision and guide our country in a healthier direction than America’s Vice President, @KamalaHarris.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also backed Harris. Both are among the few Democrats considered a potential vice presidential candidate.
Political difficulties
Polls show that statistically, Harris does not perform any better than Biden against Trump. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted 15-16 July immediately after the 13 July assassination attempt on Trump, Harris and Trump each received 44% support in a hypothetical confrontation.
In the same poll, Trump outpaced Biden 43% to 41%, though the 2 percentage point difference was not significant given the poll’s 3-point margin of error.
Congressional Republicans argued on Sunday that Biden should resign immediately, which would put the White House in Harris’ hands, with House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, next in line to succeed him.
If he’s incapable of running for president, how is he capable of governing right now? I mean, there is five months left in this administration. It’s a real concern, and it’s a danger to the country.
According to Saturday’s Federal Election Commission report, Biden’s campaign had $95 million on hand at the end of June. Experts in campaign finance law disagree on how easily that money could have been transferred to a Harris-led campaign. Small donors raised more than $27.5 million on ActBlue in the first five hours of Harris’ presidential campaign, the fundraising platform reported on X.
Earlier this year, facing little resistance, Biden easily won the Democratic Party primary to select his presidential nominee despite voters’ concerns about his age and health. His strong support for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza undermined the support of some members of his own party, especially younger, more liberal Democrats and voters of colour.
Many Black voters say Biden has not done enough for them, and enthusiasm among Democrats in general for Biden’s second term has been low. Even before the debate with Trump, Biden was trailing the Republican in some national polls, as well as in states where the battle is on to win on 5 November.
