TMTPOST--U.S. president Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he is withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race and endorsing vice president Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s nominee. This decision comes after weeks of increasing pressure from within his own party to step aside in his re-election bid against former president Donald Trump.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” Biden wrote on the social media site X. “And 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. I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision.”
In the wake of Biden's decision, Trump declared the president "was not fit to run... and is certainly not fit to serve". Other senior Republicans joined him in their criticism, and called on Biden to leave the White House immediately, not just the Democratic candidacy.
Biden’s unexpected decision follows a sharp increase in the number of congressional Democrats calling for him to step aside. He emphasized the importance of unity within the party and reiterated his support for Harris, saying, “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.”
Harris expressed her gratitude in a statement, saying, “I am honored to have the president’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination.”
In a joint statement, former president Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton endorsed Harris, saying, “We are honored to join the president in endorsing vice president Harris and will fight with everything we've got to elect her.”
While former president Barack Obama said that he had "extraordinary confidence" that an "outstanding nominee emerges," he did not explicitly back Harris or any other candidate.
Peter Welch, the first Democratic senator to urge Biden to withdraw from the re-election race, called for an "open process" to nominate Harris. However, many party members are already rallying behind her, including high-profile politicians who were considered potential rivals if Biden stepped aside.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, who is believed to have presidential ambitions, praised Biden as "selfless" and expressed his support for the "fearless" and "tenacious" Harris to face Trump. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro pledged to do "everything I can to help elect Kamala Harris as the 47th President of the United States."
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a former presidential contender, called Biden "one of the most consequential presidents in American history" and committed to doing "all that I can to help elect Kamala Harris the next President." Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer stated her focus will remain on "doing everything I can to elect Democrats and stop Donald Trump."
The Democratic National Committee has filed to amend the names of its fundraising committees to the Harris Victory Fund and Harris Action Fund. Prominent Democratic donors, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and investor Alexander Soros, have publicly endorsed Harris.
Within an hour of Biden's announcement, the pro-Trump super-PAC Make America Great Again posted an advertisement attacking Harris, alleging she covered up Biden's "obvious mental decline." Trump commented, "Whoever the Left puts up now will just be more of the same."
Biden, who has been recovering from Covid-19 at his Rehoboth, Delaware beach home, discussed his decision with Harris on Sunday before making the announcement.
On a campaign staff call Sunday evening, Biden campaign co-chair Jen O’Malley Dillon urged staff to support Harris and reassured them that their jobs would transfer to the Harris campaign. She acknowledged the emotional weight of the moment, saying, “It is ok to grieve, it is ok to be unsure but also be optimistic about our path forward.”
In an interview with NBC News, Trump commented on Biden’s decision, saying, “He should never have been there in the first place. He should have stayed in his basement.” Trump was formally nominated as the Republican Party’s candidate last week, days after narrowly escaping an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania campaign rally on July 13.
“In the coming days, the Party will undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward as a united Democratic Party with a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump in November. This process will be governed by established rules and procedures of the Party. Our delegates are prepared to take seriously their responsibility in swiftly delivering a candidate to the American people,” Democratic National Committee Chair Jamie Harrison commented.
Biden’s decision is reminiscent of President Lyndon Johnson’s 1968 withdrawal from the election amidst turmoil over the Vietnam War and low approval ratings. Biden’s campaign had insisted he would remain in the race, despite growing concerns about his age and ability to compete against Trump.
By Sunday, nearly 40 Democratic members of Congress had urged Biden to drop out. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who recently switched his political affiliation from Democrat to independent, publicly called for Biden to quit the race earlier that day. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the former House Speaker, tweeted, “President Joe Biden is a patriotic American who has always put our country first. His legacy of vision, values, and leadership makes him one of the most consequential Presidents in American history. With love and gratitude to President Biden for always believing in the promise of America and giving people the opportunity to reach their fulfillment. God blessed America with Joe Biden’s greatness and goodness.”
Biden’s withdrawal opens up the presidential race less than four months before Election Day and presents significant challenges for the Democratic Party, which now must quickly assemble a new presidential ticket to compete against the Republican ticket of Trump and Sen. JD Vance.
Biden's decision follows a disastrous debate performance against Trump on June 27, where he appeared frail and struggled with his responses, contrasting sharply with Trump’s robust presence.
This debate performance intensified the crisis within the Democratic Party, leading high-profile donors and backers to openly urge Biden to withdraw and threatening to withhold campaign contributions.
The Democratic Party now faces the task of rallying around a new candidate, garnering support from donors, delegates, and allies, and convincing voters of their suitability for the presidency in a rapidly narrowing timeline.
发表评论
发表评论: