After weeks of public and private pleas from within his own party, President Joe Biden is ending his reelection bid and stepping down as the Democratic nominee for president. He has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take over the top of the ticket.
Biden announced the decision Sunday afternoon in a letter posted on his social media accounts.
The brief letter — issued as Biden recovers from COVID-19 at his Rehoboth, Delaware, beach house — did not elaborate on Biden’s decision-making process, stating only that he believes it is in the “best interest of my party and the country.”
Minutes later, in a separate post, Biden endorsed Harris for president.
“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,” the statement read.
Harris accepted Biden’s endorsement Sunday afternoon and stated her intent to run for the party’s nomination.
“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” Harris said.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024
Top Democratic leaders — several of whom reportedly urged Biden to withdraw behind the scenes — welcomed the president’s decision, though not all immediately endorsed a candidate to replace Biden.
“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 Chuck Schumer said in a statement. “His decision of course was not easy, but he once again put his country, his party, and our future first.”
“America is a better place today because President Joe Biden has led us with intellect, grace and dignity,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement. “We are forever grateful.”
Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi also commended Biden’s decision — “God blessed America with Joe Biden’s greatness and goodness,” she said in a statement. Pelosi did not immediately make an endorsement.
Former President Barack Obama praised Biden’s decision but also stopped short of naming a replacement ticket.
“I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges,” he said in a post on Medium.
In the weeks ahead, the Democratic Party faces an unprecedented logistical and political challenge: They must find, and rally behind, a new nominee by the party’s mid-August convention.
DNC Chair Jaime Harrison said 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.”
That process will be “governed by established rules and procedures of the Party,” Harrison said, adding that “delegates are prepared to take seriously their responsibility in swiftly delivering a candidate to the American people.”
Among the first lawmakers to endorse Harris were Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal and New Democrat Coalition Chair Annie Kuster — leaders of two caucuses on opposite sides of the ideological spectrum within the Democratic Party. Chairs of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Congressional Black Caucus, as well as the influential Rep. Jim Clyburn endorsed Harris on Sunday too.
Additionally, Sens. Tim Kaine, Elizabeth Warren, Patty Murray and Rep. Andy Kim — a leading candidate in New Jersey’s Senate race — threw support behind Harris, as well as former President Bill Clinton and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Signaling that Harris will have money lined up behind her, major donor Reid Hoffman came out in support of the vice president.
Rising stars in the Democratic Party, several of whom have been floated as potential replacements for Biden, quickly commended the president for stepping aside.
“President Biden is a great public servant who knows better than anyone what it takes to defeat Donald Trump,” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement.
“I am so proud to serve under his leadership,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “And thankful for his unwavering focus on what is best for our country.”
California Sen. Gavin Newsom called Biden an “extraordinary, history-making president.” Semafor reported Sunday that Newsom’s supporters are already making the case for the California governor to lead the ticket.
Republicans, for their part, are seizing on the moment, calling on Biden to resign from office entirely. Donald Trump called Biden “not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve.” (He also immediately sent out a fundraising text.)
House Speaker Mike Johnson also called on Biden to resign, adding that “November 5 cannot arrive soon enough.”
Not everyone is pleased with the shake-up at the top of the Democratic Party.
“People pushed out an honorable man, loving father and a great president before an absolute sleazeball like Menendez. Congratulations,” Sen. John Fetterman told Semafor.
Despite weeks of growing momentum in favor of Biden’s withdrawal, the president’s decision still surprised some.
“No matter how expected this was, still feels like a shock,” one Democratic National Convention delegate texted NOTUS in the immediate aftermath.
The president said he would address the nation later this week on his decision to step aside.
At 81 years old, Biden’s age and fitness have long been a source of concern for Democrats, particularly after a poor performance in the first presidential debate against Trump. Ultimately, more than 30 Democratic and independent lawmakers publicly called on the president to end his bid. About two-thirds of Democratic voters believed Biden should withdraw, according to an AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll released on July 17.
Democrats are now tasked with shoring up trust and support within the party — and among base voters — around a replacement.
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Calen Razor is a NOTUS reporter and an Allbritton Journalism Institute fellow. Riley Rogerson is a reporter at NOTUS. Evan McMorris-Santoro, a reporter at NOTUS, contributed to this report.