HISTORIC US President Joe Biden, shown here with Vice President Kamala Harris, has dropped out of his reelection battle with Donald Trump, in a historic move that plunges the 2024 White House race into uncharted territory. —Agence France-Presse
WASHINGTON, United States — 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 Nov. 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.”
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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 had been widely expected at some point. The announcement finally came with no warning as he recovered from COVID-19 at his Delaware beach house.
In a letter posted on X, Biden said it had been the “greatest honor of my life” to be president. He said he would address the nation later this week. The White House later said he had no public events scheduled for Monday.
“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 focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” he wrote.
Shortly after, he offered his “full support and endorsement” for Harris, with his campaign filing official notice to change its name to “Harris for President.”
Endorsements began streaming in for Harris almost immediately from Democratic big shots as well as those seen as potential rivals for the nomination, such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The Democratic fundraising group ActBlue meanwhile reported that Harris received $27.5 million in small-donor contributions over the course of just five hours.
‘Unite our nation’
Democrats must now scramble to confirm a new candidate at their party convention in Chicago on Aug. 19.
Harris, the first Black and South Asian woman vice president in US history, praised Biden for his “selfless and patriotic act” and vowed to “earn and win” the nomination.
Still highly influential former Democratic president Barack Obama cautioned that “uncharted waters” lie ahead.
Biden’s decision came after a period of enforced isolation, with only a few family members and aides around him to consult at his Rehoboth Beach home, as he nursed a Covid infection.
In a clear sign of how Republicans will try to frame Harris’ image, Trump’s new running mate J.D. Vance underlined that she had been “every step of the way” with Biden, “the worst president in my lifetime.”
Tribute
World leaders lined up to pay tribute to Biden on Sunday after he announced he was dropping out of the US presidential race, even as Republicans called on him to step down from the job before the end of his term.
“You’ve taken many difficult decisions thanks to which Poland, America and the world are safer, and democracy stronger,” said Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he respected Biden’s decision. “I know that, as he has done throughout his remarkable career, he will have made his decision based on what he believes is best for the American people,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Also on X, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also paid tribute to Biden’s legacy: “My friend @POTUS Joe Biden has achieved a lot: for his country, for Europe, for the world… His decision not to run again deserves respect.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog thanked him for his decades of support while Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also thanked Biden for his years of service.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote on X: “The Australia-US Alliance has never been stronger with our shared commitment to democratic values, international security, economic prosperity and climate action for this and future generations.”
In the Philippines, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. hailed Biden’s decision as a “demonstration of genuine statesmanship.”
Marcos, on his X account, thanked Biden for his “constant and unwavering support for the Philippines in a delicate and difficult time.”
Biden’s decision to exit caps a tense and chaotic period in the US election, with Trump having survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally on July 13, and Democrats tearing themselves apart for weeks over whether Biden should quit.
The Democrat is the first president in US history to drop out so late in an election race.