In news that has been predicted in recent days but sent shock waves across the nation, President Joe Biden announced on Sunday afternoon, July 21, that he was withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as president,” stated President Biden. “While it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and country for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”
He followed his announcement with an endorsement of Harris, adding, “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 our party’s nominee this year. Democrats—it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
Vice President Harris released a statement of her own: “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. His remarkable legacy of accomplishment is unmatched in modern American history, surpassing the legacy of many Presidents who have served two terms in office. With this selfless and patriotic act, President Biden is doing what he has done throughout his life of service: putting the American people and our country above everything else.
“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement, and my intention is to earn and win this nomination.”
Biden’s political fortunes spiraled down swiftly following a widely criticized presidential debate against former President Donald Trump on June 27. Since then, a growing number of Democratic lawmakers have called on the president to step down, citing concerns about his mental acuity and stamina. He attempted to right the ship but failed to convince Democratic leadership and wealthy donors that he was up for the campaign challenge.
Reaction to Biden’s announcement was swift. Former President Obama released a statement, saying, “Joe Biden has been one of America’s most consequential presidents, as well as a dear friend and partner to me. Again, we’ve also been reminded that he’s a patriot of the highest order.”
Obama stopped short of endorsing Harris, saying that he had “confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges.” However, in a joint statement, former President Bill Clinton, Secretary of State, and 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton endorsed Harris.
Historic firsts have marked Harris’s career. Before becoming the first African American and South Asian woman to become vice president of the United States, in 2003, she became the first African American woman and South Asian woman to become the district attorney of San Francisco. After completing two terms as the district attorney, she was elected as the first African American and South Asian and the first woman to serve as California’s attorney general in 2010. Then, in 2017, she became the second African American woman and the first South Asian U.S. senator.
As vice president, Harris has excelled as a strong advocate for women’s reproductive rights and Black maternal health in recent years.
If Harris becomes the Democratic presidential nominee, she will draw a sharp contrast against former President Trump, who was found guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to hide hush money payments to a porn star to influence the 2016 presidential election. Also, a jury found Trump guilty of sexually abusing columnist E. Jean Carroll in 1996.
Some political pundits and commentators relished the contrast. Appearing on MSNBC, Rev. Al Sharpton summed it up as “the prosecutor against the convicted felon.”
Harris’ ascension as the likely Democratic presidential nominee has caused an explosion of small donations, according to the left-leaning GOTV organization ActBlue. By Sunday night, the nonprofit had raised nearly $50 million in donations, tweeting, “This has been the biggest fundraising day of the 2024 cycle.”