Joe Biden ends re-election campaign, endorses Kamala Harris for 2024 Presidential Race

In a surprising and dramatic turn of events, US President Joe Biden has announced the end of his re-election campaign, endorsing Vice-President Kamala Harris to succeed him as the Democratic candidate. The announcement came in a written statement on Sunday, with Mr Biden, 81, stating that his withdrawal was “in the best interest of my party and the country.”

Mr Biden’s decision follows his contentious debate performance against Donald Trump on 27 June, which raised questions about his fitness for a second term. Despite this, Mr Biden assured that he will continue to serve as president until January. He described serving as president as the “greatest honour” and emphasized the importance of his decision for the nation’s well-being.

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— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024

Ms Harris, 59, expressed her gratitude for the endorsement, pledging to “earn and win this nomination” and to unite the country against Trump. “We have 107 days until election day,” she declared. “Together, we will fight. And together, we will win.”

Despite accumulating endorsements from numerous prominent figures within the party, Ms Harris has not yet been officially nominated. The formal nomination may not occur until the Democratic National Convention in August.

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.

I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination.

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) July 21, 2024

Meanwhile, Donald Trump has gained momentum in the polls and was confirmed as the Republican nominee at the party’s convention in Milwaukee this week, just days after surviving an assassination attempt.

In response to Mr Biden’s decision, Trump asserted that the president “was not fit to run… and is certainly not fit to serve.” Other senior Republicans echoed this sentiment, calling for Mr Biden to leave the White House immediately.

Democratic Party Unites Behind Harris

According to sources, even senior White House staff and campaign officials were informed of Mr Biden’s decision only moments before the public announcement. However, Mr Biden had previously spoken to Ms Harris and a select few others.

Following the announcement, senior Democrats, including former president Barack Obama, Senate leader Chuck Schumer, and former House speaker Nancy Pelosi, praised Mr Biden’s decision and his accomplishments in office. Former president Bill Clinton and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton voiced their support for Harris, pledging to “fight with everything we’ve got to elect her.”

While Mr Obama expressed “extraordinary confidence” in the emergence of an “outstanding nominee,” he did not explicitly endorse Ms Harris or any other candidate. Ms Pelosi has yet to comment on the endorsement.

Peter Welch, the first Democratic senator to call on Biden to end his re-election campaign, advocated for an “open process” to nominate Harris. Nonetheless, many in the party appear ready to unite behind her, including high-profile politicians previously seen as potential rivals.

The Democratic National Committee has already taken steps to amend the names of its fundraising committees to the Harris Victory Fund and Harris Action Fund. Prominent Democratic donors, including LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and investor Alexander Soros, publicly endorsed Harris.

Within an hour of Mr Biden’s announcement, the pro-Trump super-PAC Make America Great Again released an advertisement attacking Ms Harris, alleging she “covered up Joe’s obvious mental decline.”

Trump added, “Whoever the Left puts up now will just be more of the same.”

Weeks of Intense Scrutiny

Mr Biden faced intense scrutiny following his June debate performance. A high-profile summit with NATO leaders in Washington did little to alleviate concerns, as he mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin” and addressed Ms Harris as “Vice President Trump.”

In his statement on Sunday, Mr Biden expressed heartfelt appreciation for Ms Harris and the American people. “I believe today and always have: that there is nothing America can’t do – when we do it together. We just have to remember we are the United States of America.”

The Democratic National Committee held an emergency meeting on Sunday evening. Attention now shifts to the party’s national convention, set to begin on 19 August. Delegates who were pledged to vote for Mr Biden are now expected to be released to vote for another candidate.

The upcoming months will be crucial as the Democratic Party rallies behind Ms Harris and prepares for a contentious election against a resurgent Trump.