Joe Biden Announces He Will Not Run for President
Joe Biden Announces He Will Not Run for President
Endorses Vice President Kamala Harris as the Presidential Candidate; Commits to Serving Remainder of Term.
Biden's Pulls Out of the Presidential Race
Rehoboth Beach, Del. — President Joe Biden shocked the political world on Sunday with the announcement that he will not seek re-election in 2024. In a statement released via social media, Biden, 81, expressed that it was in the best interest of his party and the country for him to step down and focus on fulfilling his presidential duties for the remainder of his term.
“It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve as your President,” Biden wrote. “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.”
Biden Endorses Kamala Harris
In a follow-up post, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s nominee for the upcoming election.
“Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year,” Biden announced. “Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
Harris, 59, expressed her gratitude for Biden's endorsement and affirmed her commitment to uniting the Democratic Party and winning the presidency. Harris would make history as the first woman of colour, and Asian-American to serve as president if elected. Several prominent Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have already voiced their support for Harris.
Obama's Response: Confidence in the Democratic Process
In a statement, former President Barack Obama, himself a Democrat, praised President Biden's leadership and vision. However, he withheld his endorsement of Kamala Harris, deferring to the upcoming Democratic Party convention to determine the nominee. Obama expressed confidence in the party's ability to navigate these uncharted waters and produce an outstanding candidate. He affirmed his belief that Biden’s vision of a generous, prosperous, and united America would be showcased at the Democratic Convention in August. Obama emphasized that all party members must be prepared to carry this message of hope and progress into the November election and beyond.
The Turning Point: Biden's Decision to Step Down
After the disastrous one-on-one debate with Donald Trump, serious doubts were raised by senior Democrats about Biden's physical and mental capacity. His numerous faux pas, especially addressing Ukrainian President Zelensky as President Putin at the NATO summit in Washington DC earlier this month, was no doubt a point of inflexion. However, the last straw on the camel's back was Trump's surging ratings, which spiked even further after the failed assassination attempt at a public rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last Saturday. Isolating due to a COVID-19 diagnosis, President Biden came under immense pressure from senior Democrats to make the inevitable decision he had been pushing back, hoping for a miracle. While rumours were rife that he would announce his retirement over the weekend, the actual announcement, when it came, surprised many across the political spectrum.
Praise Pours In
"On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country," stated Kamala Harris. World leaders echoed her sentiments, with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer leading the praise. Starmer expressed deep respect for Biden's decision, acknowledging his remarkable career and the lasting impact of his leadership on the global stage. He was joined by many world leaders including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who lauded his leadership and courageous decision.
The Democratic Nomination Process
With Biden stepping down, the Democratic Party faces an unprecedented situation as it scrambles to formally choose a new nominee just months before the November 5 election. The Democratic National Convention, scheduled for August 19-22 in Chicago, will be the critical event where the party finalizes its nominee.
Here’s a breakdown of how the process could unfold:
Virtual Vote: The party has planned a pre-convention virtual vote to officially nominate Biden. This vote could be delayed or cancelled to accommodate the new nominee.
Delegate Free Agents: Biden’s delegates are now free to support any candidate. While they may be inclined to follow Biden's endorsement of Harris, they are not obligated to do so.
Open Convention: If no consensus is reached before the convention, it could turn into an open contest where delegates vote on the floor to decide the nominee.
Insights from TIME Magazine: Why Biden Stepped Down and Its Impact
According to TIME Magazine, Biden's decision was influenced by several factors, including internal party pressure and concerns about his age and declining approval ratings. The June 27 debate against Trump, where Biden struggled to articulate his thoughts and defend his record, was a turning point that intensified calls for him to step down.
Biden’s exit has significant implications for the 2024 presidential race. Former President Donald Trump, the GOP nominee, has seen a surge in popularity following a failed assassination attempt, making the stakes even higher for the Democrats. Trump's campaign, initially designed to defeat Biden, must now adapt to a new opponent.
Impact on the Race Against Trump:
Democratic Unity: The party must quickly rally around a new candidate, likely Harris, to present a united front against Trump.
Campaign Dynamics: Harris's campaign will need to address her own liabilities and build a strong platform to counter Trump's momentum.
Electoral Map: Both parties will need to reassess their strategies and target key battleground states to secure victory in November.
Trump Camp Response
The Republican nominee Donald Trump, whose campaign had hoped Biden would remain in the race, sharply criticized Biden on his social media platform, asserting that Biden was "never" fit to be president. Trump's camp, caught off guard by the announcement, is now preparing to recalibrate their strategy for the new political landscape.
Ohio Senator JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, echoed these sentiments with a scathing critique: "Joe Biden has been the worst President in my lifetime and Kamala Harris has been right there with him every step of the way. Over the last four years, she co-signed Biden's open border and green scam policies that drove up the cost of housing and groceries. She owns all of these failures and lied for nearly four years about Biden's mental capacity—saddling the nation with a president who can't do the job." Vance emphasized that President Trump and he are prepared to "save America, whoever's at the top of the Democrat ticket. Bring it on."
An Uncertain Path Ahead
To sum up, Biden’s decision not to run for re-election has set the stage for a dramatic and unpredictable 2024 presidential race. Biden's unprecedented move, the first by a sitting president since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968, throws the Democratic nomination wide open just months before the party's convention in Chicago. This decision sets the stage for a potentially divisive process to anoint a new nominee, with Vice President Kamala Harris now the likely frontrunner to face Trump in November. The Democratic Party faces the challenge of quickly coalescing around a new nominee while countering a resurgent Trump. The coming months will be critical as the political landscape continues to evolve, with high stakes for both parties and the future direction of the United States.