President Joe Biden ends his 2024 bid after a disastrous debate inflamed doubts he’s fit for four more years on the job. Biden doesn’t immediately endorse VP Kamala Harris, throwing Democrats into chaos months before election against Trump.
Quick Read
- Biden Ends 2024 Bid Amid Doubts
- Announcement: President Joe Biden has withdrawn from the 2024 presidential race, citing concerns about his ability to win against Donald Trump and doubts about his mental acuity. He will remain in office until January 2025 and will address the nation later this week.
- Impact on Harris: Biden’s decision opens the path for Vice President Kamala Harris to potentially lead the Democratic ticket. However, Biden did not explicitly endorse Harris in his announcement, creating uncertainty about her candidacy.
- Party Dynamics: The departure of Biden throws the Democratic Party into disarray. It remains unclear if other senior Democrats will challenge Harris for the nomination or if the party will hold an open nomination process.
- Reason for Withdrawal: The move follows intense pressure from both public and private sources within the Democratic Party, exacerbated by Biden’s poor debate performance against Trump.
The Associated Press has the story:
BREAKING NEWS: President Joe Biden ends his 2024 reelection bid
Newslooks- WASHINGTON (AP) —
President Joe Biden ends his 2024 bid after a disastrous debate inflamed doubts he’s fit for four more years on the job. Biden doesn’t immediately endorse VP Kamala Harris, throwing Democrats into chaos months before election against Trump.
Biden ended his reelection campaign on Sunday after fellow Democrats lost faith in his mental acuity and ability to beat Donald Trump, leaving the presidential race in uncharted territory.
Biden, in a post on X, said he will remain in his role as president and commander-in-chief until his term ends in January 2025 and will address the nation this week.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. 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 wrote.
By dropping his reelection bid, he clears the way for Vice President Kamala Harris to run at the top of the ticket, the first Black woman to do so in the country’s history. Biden, 81, did not mention her when he announced his move.
It was unclear whether other senior Democrats would challenge Harris for the party’s nomination, who was widely seen as the pick for many party officials – or whether the party itself would choose to open the field for nominations.
Biden’s announcement follows a wave of public and private pressure from Democratic lawmakers and party officials to quit the race after his shockingly poor performance in a televised debate last month against Republican rival Donald Trump.
