In a heartfelt and historic endorsement, President Joe Biden threw his full support behind his trusted Vice President, Kamala Harris, as Democratic presidential candidate. This happened just moments after revealing his own decision to withdraw from the race.
In a separate post issued minutes after announcing his standing down, Biden threw his support behind the Democratic nomination of Harris. Biden posted his endorsement to X—formerly Twitter—moments after announcing that he is dropping out of the 2024 presidential election
What appears to be a surprise move, presidential candidate Joe Biden had announced his withdrawal from the race on Sunday July 21, bowing to the pressure among Democrats who have been calling for his withdrawal since his disastrous debate with Donald Trump on June 27. The dramatic decision lays to rest the 2024 race and sets the stage for a frantic scramble to Election Day.
At 81, Biden had been facing growing concerns, especially from dozens of his party men and women, about his health and ability to withstand the rigors of a grueling campaign, the American president stubbornly defied those calls, bristling at the uprising and determined to forge ahead.
Ultimately he has decided that it was in the best interest of the country to step aside. “It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” Biden wrote in a letter posted on social media a little before 2 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon.
“While it has been my intention to seek re-election, 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.”
“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,” the post reads.
“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,” the statement continues.
Harris candidacy has further received a boost as more and more Democratic members are throwing their weight behind her. The majority of the Democratic members of the Senate and the House have now reportedly endorsed Harris’s candidacy, according to a tally by the Washington Post.
Some 30 of the party’s 51 senators and 137 of its 188 Representatives have now backed Harris. Eleven of the party’s 23 governors have also thrown their support behind her.
These include Senators Patty Murray of Washington, Mark Warner of Virginia, Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Representatives Cori Bush of Missouri and Nanette Barragan of California, who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
Harris, 59, will make history as the first Black woman to be a major party candidate for President if chosen by her party at the Democratic National Convention, which begins on August 19.
