On Sunday, U.S. President Joe Biden announced that he is withdrawing from his battle for re-election against Donald Trump, a historic decision that plunges the already turbulent 2024 White House race into uncharted territory.
“While it was my intention to seek re-election, I believe the best course for my party and the country is for me to step aside and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden stated in a letter published on X (formerly Twitter).
Donald Trump’s Reaction: Joe Biden “was not fit to run for the presidency”
This won’t sit well with authoritarians
Critical and professional journalism is a fundamental pillar of democracy. That’s why it unsettles those who consider themselves the sole bearers of truth.
Biden added, “I will address the nation next week to provide more details about my decision. Serving as your president has been the greatest honor of my life.”
At 81 years old, the Democrat joins a very exclusive club of outgoing U.S. presidents who have given up on a second term. But he is the first to do so at this stage of the campaign and the only one driven out by doubts about his mental acuity following a disastrous debate with his Republican rival, Donald Trump.
The announcement was anticipated, despite efforts by his campaign team and himself to assert he would go all the way. This decision reshapes a campaign that has already seen many twists and turns, including an assassination attempt on Donald Trump on July 13 during a rally.
### Who Will Be the Democratic Candidate After Joe Biden Withdraws?
The Democratic Party now needs to find a replacement with the convention in Chicago just days away, starting on August 19.
Vice President Kamala Harris would be a natural, but not automatic, choice to become the Democratic candidate.
The decision lies with the party’s delegates: 3,900 individuals of diverse backgrounds, mostly unknown to the general public.
Biden announced on Sunday that he is backing his vice president as the Democratic candidate for the 2024 election, after revealing his decision to withdraw. “Today, I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be our party’s candidate this year,” he stated on X.
Vice President Kamala Harris, who would succeed Biden in the event of death or incapacity, is well-positioned to be selected by the Democrats. The daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, she was the first woman and the first black person to become California’s Attorney General, and later the first senator with South Asian heritage.
As a prosecutor, she built a reputation for severity, which could be advantageous in a campaign heavily focused on crime-related issues. However, some progressives criticize her tough stance on minor offenses, which have disproportionately affected minorities. At 59, Harris has low popularity ratings, which could lead Democrats to consider another candidate.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is another potential candidate. At 56 years old, the former San Francisco mayor has governed the most populous state in the country for five years, turning California into a sanctuary for abortion rights. Nobody doubts his presidential ambitions; in recent months, he has traveled extensively abroad and made lavish advertisements promoting his record, sparking speculation that he might run in 2028—or already in 2024?
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a fierce opponent of Donald Trump, is another potential Democratic candidate. This 52-year-old woman leads Michigan, which has three electorates the Democrats aim to win over: workers, African Americans, and Arab Americans.
Whitmer is known for being the target of a kidnapping plot by a far-right militia. Her state will be one of the most contested in the November presidential election, a significant point in favor of her candidacy, according to her supporters.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is also a possible candidate. At 51, he leads one of the largest “swing states,” which can swing towards either party depending on the candidates and other factors. These states will play a crucial role in the November elections.
Before assuming office in 2022, defeating a far-right opponent endorsed by Donald Trump, this skilled centrist orator was twice elected Attorney General of Pennsylvania. As such, he exposed sexual assaults committed by Catholic priests against thousands of children and sued Purdue Pharma, the maker of the powerful opioid OxyContin.
Other potential names include Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, though their chances seem more limited. There’s also Senator Amy Klobuchar and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, both former presidential candidates in 2020.
### Joe Biden Faced Pressure from the Democratic Party to Drop His Candidacy
Biden’s candidacy has been in jeopardy since a disastrous televised debate against Trump three weeks ago. During that encounter, from the very first seconds of the verbal battle he himself had called, tens of millions of viewers saw a hesitant, confused president, an image that left Democrats dismayed and bewildered.
He was suffering from a cold and coughed frequently. His voice was muted, he stumbled over his words, and left sentences unfinished—a painful spectacle that revealed doubts about his age, which his closest circle had worked hard to downplay.
Immediately after, the question was unavoidable: who would be the first to ask him to step aside? Nervousness spread. Some Democratic congress members publicly called for it.
Who Will Be the Democratic Replacement After Joe Biden Withdraws?
Over the following days, party heavyweights began to speak up. One by one, alarmed by polls showing he would lose and fearing a sweeping victory by Republican Trump, they turned their backs on him. Initially in private, suggesting he reconsider his candidacy.
U.S. media outlets, citing anonymous sources, reported that former President Barack Obama, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Democratic leaders in Congress Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries expressed their concerns.
Images of Joe Biden testing positive for COVID-19 and struggling to walk down the steps of his plane only heightened the anxiety among his supporters.
However, his campaign team constantly denied reports of his withdrawal and insisted he would stay in the race: “He is running for re-election. Unsubstantiated speculation from anonymous sources is not news,” said campaign official TJ Ducklo this week.
In recent days, the number of Democrats voicing opposition to him grew, and 20 members of the House of Representatives openly asked him to withdraw. On Thursday, Biden defiantly stated that he would be the Democratic candidate and that only God or a “medical condition” would force him to step down.
Biden Endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s Candidate
Key Democrats in Congress, Schumer and Jeffries, met with Biden in recent days to warn him that his candidacy is jeopardizing the party’s prospects in the November election.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump, who miraculously survived an assassination attempt, is enjoying a state of grace, with legal victories and his affirmation at the Republican Party convention.
### Full Text of Joe Biden’s Letter Announcing His Withdrawal
My fellow Americans,
In the last three and a half years, we have made significant progress as a nation.
Today, the United States has the strongest economy in the world. We have made historic investments in rebuilding our nation, lowering the cost of prescription drugs for seniors, and expanding affordable healthcare to a record number of Americans. We have provided critically needed healthcare to a million veterans exposed to toxic substances, passed the first gun safety law in 30 years, appointed the first African American woman to the Supreme Court, and approved the most significant climate legislation in world history. America has never been better positioned to lead than it is today.
I know that none of this would have been possible without you, the American people. Together, we overcame a once-in-a-century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We have protected and preserved our democracy and revitalized and strengthened our alliances worldwide.
Serving as your President has been the greatest honor of my life. While it was my intention to seek re-election, I believe the best course for my party and the country is for me to step aside and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.
I will speak to the nation later this week with more details about my decision.
For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all who have worked so hard to see me re-elected. I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me extend my sincere thanks to the American people for the faith and trust they have placed in me.
Today, I believe what I always have: there is nothing America cannot achieve if we do it together. We just have to remember that we are the United States of America.
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