Joe Biden withdraws his re-election bid and endorses Kamala Harris for November presidential election

Picture supply: EFE-EPA

Article info

• Writer, Editorial
• Function, BBC Information World

• 21 julio 2024

US President Joe Biden might now not resist the stress and on Sunday made a radical change in his marketing campaign for the November 5 elections by withdrawing his candidacy and supporting Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor.

“It’s the neatest thing for my occasion and the nation,” he argued, ending his re-election marketing campaign on Sunday.

The choice comes lower than 4 months earlier than Individuals go to the polls to decide on their subsequent president in an election wherein the Republican candidate is already recognized: former President Donald Trump.

The shift within the White Home race comes after weeks of intense stress from Biden’s fellow Democrats following his controversial efficiency within the debate towards Trump in late June, which highlighted issues concerning the president’s superior age, aged 81.

The presidential workplace in Washington confirmed that Biden will full his present four-year time period till January 2025.

Caption: Biden confirmed his withdrawal after weeks of stress.

In a letter posted on his social media account, Biden stated that presiding over the US has been the best honor of his life.

“And whereas my intention has been to hunt re-election, I imagine it’s best for my occasion and for the nation that I step down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the rest of my time period.”

He added in his assertion that he’ll deal with the nation with extra particulars within the coming days.

And shortly after, he confirmed his help for Harris, who accepted the problem of making an attempt to be the candidate in a brief however nonetheless open course of for which on Sunday she had already achieved vital help past that of Biden, reminiscent of that of Invoice and Hillary Clinton and the governor of California, Gavin Newsom.

Different candidates could announce their curiosity, however Harris is now the overwhelming favourite. She was the primary feminine vp in historical past and if she in the end wins the nomination, she is going to search to be the primary feminine president.

Caption: Some activists of various political persuasions gathered in entrance of the White Home after Biden withdrew his candidacy.

What occurred on a historic day that turned the presidential marketing campaign the other way up

• US President Joe Biden withdrew from the re-election race on Sunday after weeks of mounting stress from a number of Democrats.
• “It’s the neatest thing for my occasion and the nation,” he stated, however he’ll stay in workplace for the final six months of his time period.
• Biden has endorsed Kamala Harris, his vp, to be the brand new candidate.
• “I’ll do every part in my energy to unite our nation and defeat Donald Trump,” Kamala Harris responded.
• A number of heavyweight Democrats and large name-droppers have already proven their help for Harris, together with Invoice and Hillary Clinton.
• Former President Barack Obama, who led the nation with Biden as vp, described him as “top-of-the-line U.S. presidents” however didn’t take a place on a doable Harris candidacy.
• Whether or not Harris would be the nominee or not might be recognized on the Democratic Nationwide Conference, which is able to happen from August 19 in Chicago.
• Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump wrote on his social media platform Reality Social that the present president was “in no form to run for president.”
• Different distinguished Republicans reacted extra harshly, with Home Speaker Mike Johnson writing in X: “If he’s unfit to run, he’s unfit to be president and he ought to resign.”
• Individuals will go to the polls in 4 months: on November 5.

Kamala Harris, favourite

In his retirement message on social media, Biden thanked his vp, whom he described as an “extraordinary accomplice,” and provided his help.

“My first determination as our occasion’s nominee in 2020 was to decide on Kamala Harris as my vp. And it has been the very best determination I’ve ever made. Immediately, I wish to provide my full help and endorsement for Kamala to be our occasion’s nominee this 12 months. Democrats: It’s time to unite and defeat Trump. Let’s do it!”

Harris, 59, has a robust probability of changing Biden because the presidential candidate, though it’s nonetheless too early to know who would be the Democratic nominee.

After studying of Biden’s determination, the US vp thanked him for his help and expressed her intention to run for president.

“I’m honored to have the President’s help and I intend to earn and deserve this nomination,” he stated in an announcement.

Caption: Vice President Harris is, based on specialists, the favourite to exchange Biden.

He introduced that he’ll proceed campaigning all through the nation.

He added: “I’ll do every part in my energy to unite the Democratic Celebration (and unite our nation) to defeat Donald Trump and his excessive Venture 2025 agenda.”

Venture 2025 is a controversial plan developed by an ultraconservative Republican suppose tank to reform the federal government, from which Trump and his marketing campaign have publicly distanced themselves.

Though Kamala Harris has the backing of the present president, it’s not confirmed that she is going to substitute him in his candidacy for the elections.

Every thing might be determined on the Democratic Nationwide Conference, which is able to happen subsequent month in Chicago.

The occasion begins on August 19, though Biden’s occasion had accelerated the method to satisfy the August 7 candidate certification deadline within the state of Ohio, that means the brand new candidate ought to be introduced in simply over two weeks.

The Clintons and Obama

Former US President Invoice Clinton and his spouse Hillary Clinton, who ran and misplaced towards Trump in 2016, additionally endorsed Kamala Harris.

In an announcement revealed on X they stated they are going to do “every part they will to help her.”

Former President Barack Obama, who led the nation with Biden as vp, reacted to the information with a publish on social media X.

Caption: Obama defended protecting Biden as his candidate till altering his place just a few days in the past.

“Joe Biden has been considered one of America’s most vital presidents, and a pricey pal and accomplice to me,” he wrote.

“Immediately we have now additionally been reminded, as soon as once more, that he’s a patriot of the very best order,” he continued, with out taking a place on Harris’s doable candidacy.

Obama gained two elections with Biden as his quantity two.

However in current weeks he has joined different senior Democrats in urging her to rethink her determination to hunt re-election amid issues about her advancing age and polls displaying Trump forward within the presidential race.

Obama didn’t point out Kamala Harris in his message.

The stress after the controversy

Biden returned dwelling to Delaware final week after being recognized with Covid, however stated Friday he hoped to “get again on the marketing campaign path subsequent week.”

He had beforehand stated that solely the “Lord Almighty” might pressure him to retire, however later claimed that he would contemplate retiring if he had a well being drawback.

The requires Biden’s withdrawal started to accentuate after the face-to-face with Trump on June 27.

Caption: Many Democratic politicians and donors discovered Biden’s debate efficiency worrying.

He was criticised for generally talking incoherently and in a weak voice, which his occasion attributed to a chilly.

The talk noticed requires him to step apart inside his personal occasion, and a rising variety of Democrats in Congress feared that Biden’s persistence would damage his personal possibilities for re-election in November.

A number of senators within the higher home of Congress had additionally known as for his resignation.

Democrats’ script for the elections is blown to smithereens

Evaluation by Anthony Zurcher, BBC North America correspondent

Over the previous half-century, political conventions have turn out to be considerably boring occasions.

By planning each minute for tv, they’ve been remodeled into lengthy, multi-day commercials selling the presidential candidate.

That was the Republican conference final week, even with Donald Trump’s acceptance speech, which was too lengthy and at occasions rambling.

Subsequent month’s Democratic conference in Chicago guarantees to be very, very completely different. No matter script the occasion and Biden marketing campaign have been engaged on to date has been blown out of the water.

Even when the occasion aligns round Kamala Harris, it will likely be troublesome to plan – and management – how occasions on the conference will unfold.

And if Harris fails to unite the occasion, the conference might turn out to be a free-for-all with a number of candidates vying for the nomination in entrance of cameras and behind closed doorways.

We may very well be witnessing an enchanting and unpredictable reside political theater, one thing the American public has by no means witnessed earlier than.

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