Almost a month after his terrible debate performance President Joe Biden has withdrawn from the 2024 presidential race, amid growing concerns about his cognitive abilities and declining support within the Democratic Party, fulfilling the projection made by NJTODAY three weeks ago.
Biden’s decision to drop out of the presidential race has left the Democratic campaign in chaos. The White House said Biden intends to finish out his term and that he will address the nation.
By ending his presidential campaign, Biden is making a momentous decision that upends the 2024 presidential race with a letter posted on social media.
He endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris but in the weeks before delegates gather in Chicago, observers expect a furious effort to cultivate support from several high-profile contenders including California Governor Gavin Newsom, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and possibly independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“I will be giving a press conference today at 5 p.m. ET at the Kennedy Compound, Hyannis Port, Massachusetts,” said Kennedy, a son of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy.
Trump would lose to Kennedy in a landslide, according to polls.
“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,” said Biden in a statement.
The 81-year-old president’s fitness for office and ability to defeat former president Donald Trump came under question during his disastrous debate performance.
“President Biden is a great public servant who knows better than anyone what it takes to defeat Donald Trump. His remarkable work to lower prescription drug costs, fix the damn roads, bring supply chains home, address climate change, and ensure America’s global leadership over decades will go down in history,” said Whitmer in response to Biden’s statement. “My job in this election will remain the same: doing everything I can to elect Democrats and stop Donald Trump, a convicted felon whose agenda of raising families’ costs, banning abortion nationwide, and abusing the power of the White House to settle his own scores is completely wrong for Michigan.”
Another top alternative to run in Biden’s place is Newsom.
The 56-year-old governor has brushed aside questions about whether he would seek the party’s nomination at next month’s national convention if Biden were to withdraw. However, now that possibility is closer to reality.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said Democrats have time to change the focus of the fall presidential campaign, an indication that many top party leaders could be unwilling to give the nod to Harris, who would have to carry water for the administration without an independent ability to harvest votes any better than the octogenarian incumbent.
The decision to drop out was hailed as a selfless act of patriotism by political strategist Julie Roginsky, who posted on social media: “This speaks volumes. One man puts country above self. One man never has and never will.”
“I called for the President to step down from his renomination bid the day after the Trump-Biden debate,” said Marianne Williamson, who opposed Biden during the primary and claimed she could yet beat Donald Trump.