In an unprecedented move, President Joe Biden announced on Sunday (July 21) that he will not seek re-election in the 2024 presidential race. Instead, he has thrown his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris. The announcement was made while Biden is in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, recovering from COVID-19.
In a statement posted on social media, Biden said, "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 my term." He further endorsed Harris, stating, "My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it's been the best decision I've made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it's time to come together and beat Trump. Let's do this."
Harris responded to the endorsement, saying she is "honored to have the President's endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination."
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair, Jaime Harrison, assured that the party will undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward as a united Democratic Party with a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump in November.
This decision has left the Democratic party scrambling to select a nominee for the upcoming election. The delegates will now have to select the party's nominee on the convention floor in Chicago in four weeks or during a virtual roll call scheduled for the start of August.
Biden's decision to step aside is the first of its kind since President Lyndon Johnson in 1968. His decision underscores the severity of the crisis that enveloped his campaign after his debate performance against Trump.