By: Nathan Chen

President Joe Biden said on Sunday that he would not be running as President again in 2024. According to Biden, the move was in the interest of the nation and the Democratic Party.

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” Biden wrote. “And while it has been my intention to seek re-election, 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.”

The exit of Biden, just 107 days before the election, places Harris in a hard position: she has to unite party support and prepare for a face-off with former President Donald J. Trump. Recent polls have her running as an opponent to Trump, though Democratic convention delegates will still have to ratify her nomination next month. Clearly, with Biden’s endorsement, she has become a frontrunner.

Biden’s decision to step down came after what was widely regarded as a poor debate performance against Trump, with growing concerns about Biden’s age and health. Final decisions were sorted through the weekend by advisers and family, including the chief of staff and counselor to the president, who visited Biden at his Beach home.

This now sets the scene for an unpredictable election season, in which Democrats, especially former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, show uneven levels of support, while Trump and other Republicans demand Biden’s resignation.

Harris thanked Biden for the endorsement and his willingness to take the nomination, saying, “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.”

The coming weeks will be vital in her efforts to rally support and strategize for a showdown against Trump. There’s no better stage for a contentious race to the White House.

Sources:
Biden Drops Out of Race, Scrambling the Campaign for the White House – The New York Times (nytimes.com)