Biden gives up his place | La Presse

(New York) The US presidential campaign took another stunning turn on Sunday: Joe Biden dropped out of the race for the White House and endorsed Kamala Harris to replace him at the head of the Democratic ticket in the November 5 election.

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as President. And while it was my intention to run for another term, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and country for me to step aside and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” the Democratic president wrote in a letter posted on social media this afternoon.

He added that he would address the American nation later this week to provide more details on the decision, which stems from his disastrous performance in the first presidential debate on June 27 in Atlanta.

In the weeks that followed, about 30 elected Democrats in Congress publicly called on him to pass the torch. Without going that far, other influential figures in the party, including former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, verbally communicated to him their fears of an electoral massacre in the fall if he remained in the race.

For days, Biden has resisted pressure, denying polls showing him losing to Donald Trump in key battleground states or refusing to acknowledge voters’ doubts about his ability to run a strong campaign or lead the country over the next four years.

In an interview more than a week after the Atlanta debate, he even said that only “God Almighty” could convince him to step down.

“He was confident that he could continue this fight and beat Donald Trump, but the last few weeks have been a difficult process,” Delaware Democratic Sen. Chris Coons, a member of the president’s inner circle, told CNN.

The withdrawal comes eight days after an assassination attempt targeting Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Support for Kamala Harris

Joe Biden announced his support for Kamala Harris in a message released after the publication of her letter announcing her withdrawal and thanking the vice president “for being an extraordinary partner.”

“My very first decision as the party’s nominee in 2020 was to choose Kamala Harris as my vice president. And it was the best decision I ever made,” the president said in a message posted under a photo of him smiling in the White House Rose Garden with his right-hand man.

Later in the afternoon, Kamala Harris announced her intention to seek the Democratic presidential nomination.

“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and I intend to earn and win this nomination,” the vice president said in a statement released by Joe Biden’s campaign. “Over the past year, I have traveled the country to tell Americans about the clear choice they have in this momentous election. And I will continue to do so in the days and weeks ahead.”

Kamala Harris and her advisers have already drawn up a list of potential running mates. They include Arizona Senator (and former astronaut) Mark Kelly, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.

Towards a race for the Democratic nomination?

Major Democratic figures quickly threw their support behind Kamala Harris.

“It’s time to support Kamala Harris and fight with everything we have to elect her,” Bill and Hillary Clinton said in a joint message after expressing concern about “the threat posed by a second Trump term.”

“The future of America depends on it,” they added.

However, figures as influential as Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama have expressed their preference for an open convention.

“I have extraordinary confidence that our party’s leaders will be able to create a process from which an exceptional candidate will emerge,” Obama said in a statement that did not mention Harris.

It remains to be seen whether one or more candidates will challenge the Democratic nomination. Ultimately, the 4,600 delegates to the Democratic convention will have the final say in selecting the party’s ticket. The convention will be held in Chicago from August 19 to 22. But the ticket could be officially announced virtually before then.

Tributes…

Many Democrats also took the opportunity to pay heartfelt tribute to Joe Biden, who becomes the first sitting president to forgo a second full term since Harry Truman and Lyndon B. Johnson.

“Joe Biden has not only been a great president and legislative leader, he is also an extraordinary human being,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X. “His decision was not an easy one, of course, but he has once again put his country, his party, and our future first. Joe, today shows you are a true patriot and a great American.”

“As the first president to join a picket line with striking workers, he was the most pro-working-class president in modern American history,” said Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

…and attacks

Donald Trump, for his part, denigrated Joe Biden in his very first public reaction to the president’s announcement.

“He is by far the worst president in the history of our country,” he said in a telephone interview with CNN. He added that he believes Kamala Harris would be even easier to defeat than Joe Biden.

In a post on Truth Social, he continued to attack what he called “scumbag Joe Biden.” Like other Republicans, he suggested the president should resign.

Donald Trump also accused “everyone around him, including his doctor and the media” of hiding the truth about the president’s health.

A pro-Trump Super PAC launched a X-rated ad on Sunday attacking Kamala Harris on the same issue.

“Kamala was in on it. She covered up Joe’s obvious mental decline,” the ad’s narrator says, while associating the vice president with the Biden administration’s least popular policies, including immigration and the economy.

However, Joe Biden’s withdrawal could provide Democrats with a new line of attack, which one commentator tested on CNN Sunday.

“Kamala Harris is running against the oldest presidential candidate in American history,” Bakari Sellers said. “He’s almost 80 years old, so the question is whether he can lead the country for four more years. I’m not sure.”