US President Joe Biden has announced on Sunday (21 July) he is withdrawing from the White House, endorsing Vice-President Kamala Harris to take over the ticket vacated by him.
“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,” said the 81-year-old Biden.
The Democratic Party will need to nominate Harris formally at the convention in August, making her the first African-American woman and the first Indian-American to win the nomination of a major political party for the White House.
My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on 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… pic.twitter.com/x8DnvuImJV
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024
Harris’s path from here to nomination is not automatic. It’s not clear if she will have to face off rivals and how that process will unfold. Whether it will be settled based on the delegates won by the Biden-Harris ticket, or voting at an open convention where the delegates will be free to consider and pick a rival candidate, remains to be seen. Others who could seek the nomination include Governors Gavin Newsom of California, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Roy Cooper of North Carolina, Senator Mark Kelly, and entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban.
Biden is the first incumbent President in 56 years to give up a chance to run again. It is unknown if he has also become the first US President to withdraw his re-election bid after winning the primaries and before the official coronation as the nominee at the party’s national convention. President Biden, who has been self-isolating at his home in Delaware with Covid-19, had been under mounting pressure to step aside for a different candidate for the party, following questions about his suitability to lead as an octogenarian, and a disastrous performance in the first presidential debate against his Republican rival, former President Trump.
Kamala Harris, born to Indian and Jamaican immigrant parents, has a distinguished background that includes serving as the District Attorney of San Francisco and Attorney General of California. As a U.S. Senator from California, she has been a vocal advocate for criminal justice reform, healthcare, and immigration issues. Her diverse heritage and extensive legal and political experience made her a historic choice as Joe Biden’s running mate in the 2020 Presidential election, marking her as the first woman of South Asian and African American descent on a major party’s national ticket.
“Over the past three-and-a-half years, we have made great progress as a nation,” Biden wrote in a letter addressed to “fellow Americans”. “Today, America has the strongest economy in the world. We’ve made historic investments in rebuilding our Nation, in expanding affordable health care to a record number of Americans. Passed the first gun safety law in 30 years. Appointed the first African-American woman to the Supreme Court. And passed the most significant climate legislation in the history of the world. America has never been better positioned to lead than we are today.”
“I want to thank Vice-President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me.” Biden had merely thanked Harris for her cooperation in the first statement issued about his exit. He endorsed her fully in a subsequent statement. “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.”
Yes you are, Kamala Harris. Yes you are. pic.twitter.com/rzONTAttD9
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) July 21, 2024
US Vice-President Kamala Harris said on Sunday (21 July) that she was honoured to get President Joe Biden’s endorsement and said it was her intention to “earn and win” the nomination of the Democratic party to run for the President.
“On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country,” Harris said in the first remarks after historic developments. “His remarkable legacy of accomplishment is unmatched in modern American history, surpassing the legacy of many Presidents who have served two terms in office.” “It is a profound honour to serve as his Vice-President, and I am deeply grateful to the President, and the entire Biden family.
My neighbors move quickly. All in for Kamala Harris! pic.twitter.com/JyRHoO6EDE
— Martin Heinrich (@MartinHeinrich) July 21, 2024
I first came to know President Biden through his son Beau. We were friends from our days working together as Attorneys General of our home states. As we worked together, Beau would tell me stories about his Dad. The kind of father—and the kind of man—he was. And the qualities Beau revered in his father are the same qualities, the same values, I have seen every single day in Joe’s leadership as President: His honesty and integrity. His big heart and commitment to his faith and his family. And his love of our country and the American people.”
“We have 107 days until Election Day. Together, we will fight. And together, we will win.”
READ ALSO: Usha Vance: Indian-origin wife of Trump’s VP running mate
