Biden Dropping Out Of Race For Re-Election; Harris To Run With His Endorsement

WASHINGTON — In an unprecedented move following weeks of mounting pressure from within his own party, President Joe Biden announced Sunday he will no longer seek re-election. He also endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement.

Biden shared the news of his departure in a letter to the nation, which came in the wake of a disastrous June debate performance against former President Donald Trump that unleashed a wave of growing dissent within Biden's own party.

"It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President," he 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 to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term."

Biden said he would address the nation later in the week about his decision.

"It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President," he wrote.

Harris 2024

Biden moved swiftly to endorse Harris, offering his support less than an hour after announcing his departure from the race. Harris is the party's instant favorite for the nomination at its August convention in Chicago.

"Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump," the 81-year-old president said in a social media post. "Let’s do this."

Harris said she was honored to have Biden’s support and that she intends to “earn and win this nomination.” She released a statement calling Biden's decision to end his reelection campaign a “selfless and patriotic act.”

"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," Harris said in a social media post.

Biden’s campaign formally changed its name to Harris for President, reflecting that she is inheriting his political operation — a sign of the prohibitive leg up she has for the Democratic nomination.

Inside the White House, there’s low expectation that Harris will get a serious challenge following Biden’s endorsement, according to a person familiar with deliberations who requested anonymity to discuss the private conversations, The Associated Press reported.

Democrats quickly rallied around Harris as their likely presidential nominee. Endorsements came from Bill and Hillary Clinton; prominent U.S. senators; a wide swath of House representatives and members of the influential Congressional Black Caucus; and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who has been the subject of speculation as a potential running mate.

Biden remained at his Delaware beach house Sunday after being diagnosed with COVID-19 last week.

Republicans Weigh In

Trump was quick to comment on his opponent's departure from the race, saying in a post on Truth Social that Biden "was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve - And never was!"

"All those around him, including his Doctor and the Media, knew that he wasn’t capable of being President, and he wasn’t," Trump said, going on to criticize Biden's handling of immigration. "We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has done very quickly. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said Biden should immediately resign if he is not fit enough to run for office. In a statement, Johnson said, “November 5 cannot arrive soon enough.”

"If Joe Biden ends his reelection campaign, how can he justify remaining President?" Trump's running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, asked in a social media post. "Not running for reelection would be a clear admission that President Trump was right all along about Biden not being mentally fit enough to serve as Commander-in-Chief. There is no middle ground."

An Unprecedented Moment

Biden's announcement is the latest jolt to a campaign for the White House that both political parties see as the most consequential election in generations, coming just days after the attempted assassination of Trump at a Pennsylvania rally.

A party's presumptive presidential nominee has never stepped out of the race so close to the election. The closest parallel would be President Lyndon Johnson who, besieged by the Vietnam War, announced in March 1968 that he would not seek another term.

Now, Democrats have to urgently try to bring coherence to the nominating process in a matter of weeks and persuade voters in a stunningly short amount of time that their nominee can handle the job and beat Trump. And for his part, Trump must shift his focus to a new opponent after years of training his attention on Biden.

The decision marks a stunning end to Biden's 52 years in electoral politics, as donors, lawmakers and even aides expressed to him their doubts that he could convince voters that he could plausibly handle the job for another four years.

Biden won the vast majority of delegates and every nominating contest but one, which would have made his nomination a formality. Now that he has dropped out, those delegates will be free to support another candidate.

Harris, 59, appears to be the natural successor, in large part because she is the only candidate who can directly tap into the Biden campaign's war chest, according to federal campaign finance rules. Biden's backing helps clear the way for Harris, but a smooth transition is by no means assured.

The Democratic National Convention is scheduled to be held Aug. 19-22, but the party had announced that it would hold a virtual roll call to formally nominate Biden before in-person proceedings begin. It remained to be seen whether other candidates would challenge Harris for the nomination or how the party may need to adjust its rules again to smooth Harris' nomination on the floor.

Democrats Praise Biden

Democratic officials, including many who were behind the effort to push Biden from the race, quickly released statements praising the president's decision.

Former President Barack Obama, under whom Biden served as vice president, called Biden "a patriot of the highest order."

"It’s a testament to Joe Biden’s love of country — and 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," Obama said in a post on Medium of Biden's decision to step down.

"... We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges."

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said of Biden, "today shows you are a true patriot and great American."

"His decision of course was not easy, but he once again put his country, his party, and our future first," said the New York Democrat.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, also from New York, called Biden "one of the most accomplished and consequential leaders in American history" who "saved our democracy by defeating the Insurrectionist-in-Chief."

"America is a better place today because President Joe Biden has led us with intellect, grace and dignity," Jeffries said in a prepared statement posted to social media. "We are forever grateful."

Former House speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi in the wake of Biden's announcement expressed "love and gratitude to President Biden for always believing in the promise of America."

"His legacy of vision, values and leadership make him one of the most consequential Presidents in American history," the California Democratic congresswoman said in a social media post.

Age And Other Issues

In 2020, Biden pitched himself as a transitional figure who wanted to be a bridge to a new generation of leaders. But once he secured the job he spent decades struggling to attain, he was reluctant to part with it.

He is the country's oldest president and had insisted repeatedly that he was up for the challenge of another campaign and another term, telling voters all they had to do was "watch me."

And watch him they did. His poor debate performance prompted a cascade of anxiety from Democrats and donors who said publicly what some had said privately for months, that they did not think he was up to the job for four more years.

Concerns over Biden's age have dogged him since he announced he was running for reelection, though Trump is just three years younger at 78. Most Americans view the president as too old for a second term, according to an August 2023 poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. A majority also doubt his mental capability to be president, though that is also a weakness for Trump.

Most Americans disapprove of the way Biden's handled his job, and he's faced persistently low approval ratings on key issues including the economy and immigration.

Biden's age surfaced as a major factor during an investigation of his handling of classified documents. Special counsel Robert Hur said in February that the president came across in interviews with investigators as "a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory."

Biden's motivation for running was deeply intertwined with Trump. When the president won the 2020 election, Trump refused to concede and stood by for hours while his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, beating and bloodying law enforcement in a failed attempt to overturn the certification of Biden's win.

"If Trump wasn't running, I'm not sure I'd be running," Biden once said at a campaign event.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.