A bombshell at the White House: Joe Biden announced yesterday, Sunday, that he is withdrawing his bid for a second term as president, with his vice president, Kamala Harris, assuring the public that she is ready to replace him and «defeat» his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, on November 5, as the Democratic campaign has now entered uncharted waters.
After weeks of uncertainty, under mounting pressure due to doubts about his mental acuity, the 81-year-old U.S. president finally dropped out of the campaign—at a very late stage— with less than a month remaining until the Democratic National Convention, which will nominate the party’s presidential candidate.
«I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to withdraw my candidacy and focus exclusively on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term,», Mr. Biden emphasized in the statement he released to the public.
«Today I want to express my full support and endorsement of Kamala to be our party’s nominee this year,» he added via X from his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, where he has been in isolation since developing COVID symptoms.
The shocking announcement was expected, despite repeated denials by the person most directly involved; it marks a new twist in an election campaign that has already been marked by several incidents—the most terrifying of which was the assassination attempt on Donald Trump on July 13.
Kamala Harris, the first African American woman ever to serve as vice president, immediately made it clear that she is ready to run for and «secure the Democratic nomination» in order to «defeat Donald Trump.».
At 59 years old, she is expected to highlight her youth compared to Donald Trump, who, at 78, emerged last week strengthened by the convention where he received the Republican Party’s nomination—a convention that appeared more orchestrated than ever behind his candidacy.
«That con artist Joe wasn't qualified to run for office, and he certainly isn't qualified to perform his duties,» he commented via the social media site created by the billionaire.
«Kamala Harris will be »even worse' than Joe Biden," the Republican campaign team was quick to add.
Joe Biden, for his part, promised that he would address the American people «later this week.».
Like other members of his party, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson called on the Democratic president to «resign immediately.».
On the Democratic side, where pressure on the president has continued to mount in recent weeks, praise has been pouring in, such as that from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who lauded Joe Biden as a «great patriot.».
Another Democratic heavyweight, Nancy Pelosi, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, also praised him as «one of the most important presidents in American history.».
At the Democratic National Convention in mid-August in Chicago, Ms. Harris’s nomination seems very likely at this point, but it is not a foregone conclusion.
Although he has already secured the support of former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Notably, former President Barack Obama, one of the most influential figures in the party, limited himself to expressing his «confidence» in the party, which, in his view, can establish the ’process« that will allow for the selection of an »outstanding candidate,« without mentioning Kamala Harris by name.
Emphasizing that Joe Biden «believes this decision is the right one for America,» Barack Obama warned Democrats that they would be «navigating uncharted waters in the coming days.».
After all, the final say will rest with the 3,900 delegates at the Democratic Party convention, who come from many and varied backgrounds—most of whom are completely unknown to the general public.
The process will be «transparent» and «coordinated,» party leader Jamie Harrison promised in a statement.
The event that accelerated these developments was Joe Biden’s disastrous performance in his televised debate with Donald Trump on June 27. On that day, the president, who appeared on the television screens of his own and his party’s agitated supporters, seemed weak and confused, unable to finish his sentences…
The painful sight brought doubts about his age to the forefront of the discussion; despite his associates’ intensive efforts to downplay them, these doubts grew exponentially.
Democratic lawmakers—initially the lesser-known ones—began to apply pressure, followed by the party’s heavyweights. One after another, fearing a landslide victory for Trump, they abandoned him, most of them initially in private.
U.S. media outlets, citing unnamed sources, reported that Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Chuck Schumer had expressed their concerns.
The image of Joe Biden, showing—for the third time, as far as is known—showed symptoms of COVID-19 as he struggled to descend the stairs of his plane, heightening the party’s anxiety.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump, who miraculously survived an assassination attempt earlier this month, has racked up one victory after another, as he appears to be enjoying a period of grace, with the dismissal of one of the criminal cases against him, followed by his nomination at the Republican National Convention.
