President Biden Bows Out of Reelection Campaign, Endorses Vice President Harris
Tester thanks him for his service, Daines calls for his resignation
By Jacob Fischler and Ashley Murray for States Newsroom
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race Sunday, he said in a letter posted to social media, creating an unprecedented vacancy atop the Democratic ticket one month before he was scheduled to officially accept his party’s nomination.
He will remain in office through the end of his term.
Biden’s withdrawal came after a weeks-long pressure campaign from party insiders following a disastrous June 27 debate performance against GOP candidate former President Donald Trump.
The move throws an already-unusual presidential race into further chaos, and it was not immediately clear Sunday how Democrats would choose a replacement for Biden in November’s election, though Vice President Kamala Harris would have a strong claim to lead the ticket.
Biden did not endorse a replacement in that statement, but praised Harris as “an extraordinary partner” in the administration’s accomplishments.
In a followup post less than 30 minutes later, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place at the top of the Democratic ticket.
Biden was not specific about his reasons for stepping aside, but said he believed it was in the country’s best interest.
“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,” Biden wrote in the one-page letter.
Biden, 81, appeared frail and confused at several points throughout the debate, leading to worries among elected Democrats and the party’s voters that he was no longer up to the task of governing or contesting Trump’s bid to win back the White House.
Montana Independent News Update:
SENATORS DAINES AND TESTER ON BIDEN’S ANNOUNCEMENT
Senator Jon Tester released the following statement, “I respect President Biden’s decision and believe it is the right thing to do for our country. Sharla and I thank him for his lifetime of public service and dedication to our great nation.”
Last week Tester called on President Biden not to seek re-election and said he supports an open nomination process. After President Biden’s June debate, Tester said Biden needed to “prove to the American people–including me–that he’s up to the job for another four years.”
Senator Steve Daines’ statement read: “As a country, we all watched the debate and it was immediately clear there is something wrong with President Biden. Since then, several prominent Democrats have come forward with stories that suggest Joe Biden has a condition that is getting worse, not better.
“If Joe Biden is no longer capable of running for re-election, he is no longer capable of serving as President. Being President is the hardest job in the world, and I no longer have confidence that Joe Biden can effectively execute his duties as Commander-in-Chief.
“It is out of concern for our country’s national security that I am formally calling on President Biden to resign from office.
“It has also been striking that none of the Senate Democrats who served with Vice President Harris have called for her to replace President Biden. This leads me to believe they think she is unqualified to serve as Commander-in-Chief.”