President Joe Biden announced Sunday in a letter to the nation posted to social media that he would no longer seek reelection and is ending his 2024 presidential campaign.
"It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president," President Biden stated in the letter. "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."
President Biden said he would address the nation in person later with more details about his decision. This comes as the president has been isolating at his seaside home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, after testing positive for COVID-19 while campaigning in Las Vegas.
"For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me reelected," President Biden wrote.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024
By all accounts, the president intends to finish out the remainder of his term in office.
It was not immediately clear who might replace President Biden as a leading candidate, but shortly after the announcement, he endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the potential nominee.
In a statement, Harris said, "I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination."
The vice president also praised President Biden for his service, saying he has a remarkable legacy that is "unmatched" in modern history.
“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," Harris stated.
The 2024 Democratic National Convention, where a nominee is traditionally formalized, is scheduled for Aug. 19-22 in Chicago.
What’s next for the Democratic party
President Biden’s delegates are now free to vote for potential replacements at the Democratic National Convention in August. While Vice President Harris will contend for the nomination, others could enter the race as well. Convention delegates would continue voting until someone gets at least 1,968 delegates — the number needed for the nomination.
As of Sunday, no other candidate had thrown their hat into the mix. However, Scripps News learned that West Virginia Independent Sen. Joe Manchin is considering a bid. Manchin, who switched party affiliations from Democrat to Independent less than two months ago, would still have to re-register as a Democrat. He has reportedly been fielding calls about campaigning for the Democratic nominee.
Democratic National Convention Chair Jaime Harrison has promised a transparent nominating process.
Some Democrats echo support for Vice President Harris
While many Democrats have been quiet about who they think should replace President Biden as the party’s nominee, some began publicly endorsing Vice President Harris following President Biden’s own endorsement on X.
"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, [Kamala Harris]," said California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
"We join millions of Americans in thanking President Biden for all he has accomplished, standing up for America time and again, with his North Star always being what’s best for the country. We are honored to join the President in endorsing Vice President Harris and will do whatever we can to support her," Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a joint statement.
“President Joe Biden has been the most progressive and effective President on domestic and economic policy in my lifetime,” said Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal in a statement Sunday. “At a time when Donald Trump and his Republican Party have stripped away women’s reproductive freedoms, we will respond by finally electing the first woman to the presidency. And as the first South Asian woman elected to the House of Representatives, I look forward to seeing Kamala Harris become the first South Asian American and first Black woman to serve as the President of the United States of America.”
Republicans don't hold back
Shortly after President Biden announced he would no longer seek reelection, Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump posted to his Truth Social platform, "Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve - And never was!"
"We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has done very quickly," Trump continued.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said on X, "If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President. He must resign the office immediately."
President Biden faced calls to step down after lackluster debate
President Biden's decision to drop out of the 2024 race came almost a month after his debate with former President Donald Trump.
Political commentators and former advisers to President Biden characterized a widespread "panic" among Democrats following the debate.
In the days that followed, around 40 elected Democrats called for President Biden to step aside.
The campaign pushed back
The White House, President Biden's campaign and the president himself all fiercely maintained that he would remain in the race.
Immediately following the debate, Vice President Harris defended President Biden's performance.
"People can debate on style points, but ultimately this election and who is the President of the United States has to be about substance. And the contrast is clear," Harris said on CNN. "Look at what happened over the course of the debate. Donald Trump lied over and over and over again. He would not disavow what happened on Jan. 6. He would not give a clear answer on whether he would stand by the election results this November."
Not quite unprecedented
For all the headlines and history-making context, President Biden is still not the first incumbent president to step out of the race. Amid the racial and social turmoil of the 1960s and the Vietnam War, President Lyndon B. Johnson decided not to seek reelection.
"I have concluded that I should not permit the presidency to become involved in the partisan divisions that are developing in this political year," Johnson said at the time. "Accordingly, I shall not seek and I will not accept the nomination of my party for another term as your president."
Former President Obama weighs in
Former President Barack Obama released a lengthy statement full of praise and gratitude following President Biden's announcement.
"Sixteen years ago, when I began my search for a vice president, I knew about Joe’s remarkable career in public service. But what I came to admire even more was his character — his deep empathy and hard-earned resilience; his fundamental decency and belief that everyone counts. Since taking office, President Biden has displayed that character again and again," Obama said.
"Through his policies and his example, Joe has reminded us of who we are at our best — a country committed to old-fashioned values like trust and honesty, kindness and hard work; a country that believes in democracy, rule of law, and accountability; a country that insists that everyone, no matter who they are, has a voice and deserves a chance at a better life," Obama continued.
“Joe Biden has not only been a great president and a great legislative leader but he is a truly amazing human being," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in a statement. "His decision of course was not easy, but he once again put his country, his party, and our future first."
