Vice President Kamala Harris replaces President Joe Biden as the 2024 Democratic nominee
On Sunday, July 21, after pressure from his peers as well as people of the United States, President Joe Biden made the decision to drop out of the presidential race for 2024 and no longer be the presumptive Democratic nominee.
“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 posted to his social media accounts on Sunday.
After the presidential debate, hosted by CNN and held in Atlanta on June 27, national confidence in Biden dropped.
According to a CNN poll, “nearly 60% of people that watched the debate said that they have no real confidence in Biden’s ability to lead the country.”
“I know I’m not a young man. I don’t walk as easily as I used to, I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to, I don’t debate as well as I used to, but I know what I do know. I know how to tell the truth,” Biden said in a speech to his supporters in North Carolina the day after the debate.
Biden hosted rallies in North Carolina and New York where he acknowledged the debate as well as even holding fundraisers and campaign events in Virginia, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania around the Fourth of July. He also held an interview with Philadelphia radio host Andrea Lawful-Sanders and ABC News.
“It was a bad episode. No indication of any serious condition. I was exhausted. I didn’t listen to my instincts in terms of preparing and — and a bad night,” Biden said when asked about his debate with Trump.
Politicians such as the former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi spoke out on Biden’s performance.
“It’s up to the president to decide if he’s going to run,” Pelosi said after being asked if she supports the call for Biden to step down.
Actor George Clooney published a New York Times op-ed on July 10, encouraging Biden’s withdraw from the election.
“We are not going to win in November with this president,” Clooney wrote.
Just three days later, on July 13, was the assassination attempt on Trump, which Biden denounced.
“We cannot — we must not — go down this road in America.” Biden said while addressing the Nation.
And then, in a surprise announcement on social media platform, X, that he will drop out of the race but will finish his presidential term. Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination.
“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” Harris said, moments after Biden’s press release about dropping out.
