NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — President Joe Biden officially called off his reelection bid on Sunday afternoon amid mounting calls from within the Democratic Party for him to bow out of the 2024 race, and soon after endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be the party's nominee.
In a statement published by the president at 1:46 p.m., he acknowledged the “great progress” the nation has made over the past three and a half years, pointing to achievements like lowered prescription drug costs, the expansion of affordable healthcare, the passing of a new gun safety law and climate legislation.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” Biden wrote. “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 focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”
The president plans to address the nation more in-depth regarding his decision later this week.
BIDEN ENDORSES HARRIS
Thirty minutes after his announcement, Biden officially endorsed Harris to be the Democratic Party’s nominee and posted a link to her campaign page for supporters to donate.
“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,” Biden wrote. “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 released a statement following the president's withdrawal and subsequent endorsement. After "[thanking] Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country," the vice president confirmed her intention to run for president.
“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination. Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election," Harris said.
“I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party—and unite our nation—to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda," she continued. "We have 107 days until Election Day. Together, we will fight. And together, we will win."
The vice president is the instant favorite to receive the nomination, though it is yet unclear whether she will take Biden’s position at the top of the ticket or if Democrats will hold a “mini primary” to decide the nominee ahead of the Democratic National Convention in August.
CLINTONS ENDORSE HARRIS
In a joint statement issued by former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary Hillary Clinton, the couple acknowledged Biden’s “extraordinary career” and joined “the millions of Americans in thanking [him] for all he has accomplished.”
Then, the Clintons formally offered their endorsement for Harris while sounding an alarm on the "threat" of a Trump victory come November.
“We’ve lived through many ups and downs, but nothing has made us more worried for our country than the threat posed by a second Trump term,” the statement read. “He has promised to be a dictator on day one, and the recent ruling by his servile Supreme Court will only embolden him to further shred the Constitution.”
“Now is the time to support Kamala Harris and fight with everything we’ve got to elect her. America’s future depends on it,” the endorsement concludes.
OBAMA PRAISES BIDEN, STOPS SHORT OF ENDORSING HARRIS
In a lengthy statement about Biden's decision to withdraw from the 2024 race, former President Barack Obama paid tribute to his former vice president.
Obama recounted his experience deciding who he wanted to be his vice president when he won the Democratic nomination in 2008, and noted that while he knew about Biden’s successful career as a public servant, “what [he] came to admire even more was [Biden’s] character — his deep empathy and hard-earned resilience; his fundamental decency and belief that everyone counts.”
The statement discussed Biden’s accomplishments during his presidency thus far, and stated that while “This outstanding track record gave President Biden every right to run for re-election and finish the job he started,” Biden stepping down is “a historic example of a genuine public servant once again putting the interests of the American people ahead of his own that future generations of leaders will do well to follow.”
The former president acknowledged the “risk” of another Trump presidency and the importance of a Democratic win, but did not join Biden in endorsing Harris to be the next nominee.
Instead, Obama looked forward to the Democratic National Convention in August with an open mind on how the party will select a replacement.
“I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges,” Obama said. “I believe that Joe Biden’s vision of a generous, prosperous, and united America that provides opportunity for everyone will be on full display at the Democratic Convention in August.”
DEMOCRATS HOLD BIDEN’S DECISION WITH REVERENCE
Democratic leaders released statements on Sunday weighing in on Biden’s decision to exit the presidential race, offering respect to the president for both his presidency and withdrawal.
“Joe Biden has not only been a great president and a great legislative leader but he is a truly amazing human being,” Senate Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer said. “His decision of course was not easy, but he once again put his country, his party, and our future first. Joe, today shows you are a true patriot and great American.”
This sentiment was expressed by other leading Democrats across the state, including by Gov. Kathy Hochul and Jay S. Jacobs, New York State Democratic Chair.
“Joe Biden is an American hero, a true statesman, and he'll go down in history as one of the greatest champions of working families our nation has ever known,” Hochul posted on X.
“I have never admired Joe Biden more than I do today,” Jacobs wrote in a statement sent out by the New York Democrats. “Voluntarily ceding the nomination and forgoing a chance to serve for another four years in the job that he did so well in and spent a lifetime dreaming of attaining, is as noble an act as ever recorded in America’s political history.”
“Joe Biden’s selflessness; his putting country and party above his own personal desires, places him in the category of every great political leader since George Washington set the standard some 225 years ago,” Jacobs continued.
Mayor Eric Adams of New York City also weighed in, stating that Biden has done his country a service by “passing the torch at a critical moment, when the country needs strong leadership from a new generation.”
“From here, the Democratic Party must continue to put working-people first and address their concerns about the cost of living, public safety, and our shared democratic values,” Adams said.
REPUBLICANS ZERO IN ON BIDEN’S 'INCAPACITY TO SERVE'
The admiration for the president’s decision was not shared across the aisle, with many top Republican leaders calling for his resignation, despite Biden stating that he intends to finish out the rest of his term.
Speaker Mike Johnson took to social media following the president’s announcement, writing that by the Democratic Party “[forcing] the Democrat nominee off the ballot, just over 100 days before the election” it was “[invalidating] the votes of more than 14 million Americans who selected Joe Biden.”
The speaker then attacked Harris and her policies, claiming that she has been “a gleeful accomplice — not only in the destruction of American sovereignty, security, and prosperity, but also in the largest political coverup in U.S. history,” referring to the president’s “incapacity to serve.”
“If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President. He must resign the office immediately,” Johnson wrote. “November 5 cannot arrive soon enough.”
Fourth-ranking House Republican, Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, joined the speaker’s call for Biden to resign.
“If Joe Biden can’t run for re-election, he is unable and unfit to serve as President of the United States. He must immediately resign,” Stefanik said. “The Democrat Party is in absolute free fall for their blatantly corrupt and desperate attempt to cover up the fact that Joe Biden is unfit for office.”
This statement was reposted by the New York GOP with the addendum “@EliseStefanik, as usual, nails it.”
Republican nominee former President Donald Trump weighed in on his own social media platform, Truth, and slammed Biden as not being “capable of being President,” though stopped short of calling for his immediate resignation.
“Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve - And never was! He only attained the position of President by lies, Fake News, and not leaving his Basement. All those around him, including his Doctor and the Media, knew that he wasn’t capable of being President, and he wasn’t,” Trump wrote.
“And now, look what he’s done to our Country, with millions of people coming across our Border, totally unchecked and unvetted, many from prisons, mental institutions, and record numbers of terrorists. We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has done very quickly,” Trump concluded.
WHAT LED TO BIDEN'S WITHDRAWAL?
Confidence in Biden’s candidacy first began to diminish after his disastrous performance in CNN’s presidential debate against Republican nominee former President Donald Trump, when concerns regarding his mental acuity and leadership ability intensified across the nation.
Nearly three dozen Democratic members of Congress—including high-profile representatives like Rep. Adam Schiff of California and Rep. Pat Ryan of New York—called on the incumbent to end his campaign, citing concerns about his ability to defeat Trump.
Longtime Biden allies, including former President Barack Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, privately expressed concerns about not only the president’s ability to win at the top of the ticket, but the effect of his campaign on down-ballot candidates in an election where the Democratic hope is to seize the House majority.
Before confirming his exit from the race, Biden tried to salvage his campaign from isolation in Delaware, calling for party unity during Trump’s official nomination acceptance at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last week.
“Together, as a party and as a country, we can and will defeat him at the ballot box,” Biden said after watching the former president’s remarks. “The stakes are high, and the choice is clear. Together, we will win.”
The president was knocked off the campaign trail with a positive COVID-19 test while appearing in Las Vegas early last week, weakening his already precarious position in the race and preceding his official exit.