In a significant political shift, US President Joe Biden announced the end of his reelection campaign and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the new Democratic nominee. Biden’s decision follows mounting concerns within the Democratic Party regarding his ability to compete against former President Donald Trump in the upcoming election.
Biden, 81, shared the news on X (formerly Twitter), stating that he will continue to serve as President until his term concludes in January 2025. “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,” he wrote. Shortly after, he endorsed Harris, expressing his confidence in her leadership and vision for the country.
Vice President Kamala Harris, 59, if nominated, would make history as the first Black woman and the first Asian American woman to lead a major-party ticket in a US presidential election. Despite Biden’s endorsement, it remains uncertain whether other senior Democrats will challenge Harris for the nomination or if the party will open the field for other candidates.
Republican figures quickly launched attacks on Harris. Donald Trump Jr. criticized her liberal policies, stating, “Kamala Harris owns the entire leftwing policy record of Joe Biden. The only difference is that she is even more liberal and less competent than Joe, which is really saying something.”
Governor Greg Abbott of Texas, a frequent critic of Biden’s and Harris’s immigration policies, commented on social media, “Joe Biden has now endorsed and fully supports his ‘Borders Czar’ Kamala Harris to be the Democrat candidate for president. I think I will need to triple the border wall, razor wire barriers, and National Guard on the border.”
Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican lawmaker known for her controversial remarks, dismissed Harris and other potential Democratic candidates. “Kamala. Michelle. Hillary. It doesn’t matter who they pick,” Greene asserted. “President Trump is the strongest he’s ever been and you can’t stop the TRUMP TRAIN.”
Biden’s announcement came after a series of events that raised doubts about his candidacy, including a poor debate performance against Trump and subsequent gaffes that fueled concerns about his age and mental acuity. Biden’s decision marks a historic moment, making him the first sitting president since Lyndon Johnson in 1968 to step down from seeking his party’s nomination for reelection. The endorsement of Harris sets the stage for a potentially groundbreaking and fiercely contested election campaign.