President Joe Biden endorses Kamala Harris in heated presidential race
President Joe Biden has endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, to become the Democratic nominee for president.
WASHINGTON ― Americans woke up Monday to an upended presidential campaign after President Joe Biden dropped his troubled reelection bid and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor in the Democratic Party’s race to stop Donald Trump from regaining the White House.
Biden, 81, who faced a wellspring of pressure to leave the race after he appeared disoriented at a televised debate with Trump last month, passed the torch to Harris, who soon announced her bid for the party’s nomination. Behind the scenes, the Biden campaign machine switched gears to benefit the vice president.
Trump, 78, reckoned with a new November opponent, one almost 20 years his junior, as some Democratic donors celebrated what one called the “shot of adrenaline” Harris could bring to the pivotal race.
“Now we have to start all over again,” Trump complained in a Truth Social post Sunday evening.
Follow along with USA TODAY’s live updates.
Who is Josh Shapiro?
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro took office January 2023, after serving as Pennsylvania’s attorney general and as a state representative.
The 51-year-old has been floated as a possible running mate for Harris given his appeal in a battleground state – counter to Trump’s VP and Ohio Sen. JD Vance.
− Savannah Kuchar
Trump is 78 years old. He is currently the oldest candidate running for president, after Biden dropped out of the race. He formally received the GOP nomination last week at the Republican convention.
− Sudiksha Kochi
That’s complicated. Before Joe Biden’s decision to step down, he and Donald Trump agreed to debate on Tuesday, September 10.
However, that date could change with Biden’s exit from the 2024 election and Harris launching her campaign.
− Marina Pitofsky
According to a 538 average of polls, Kamala Harris has a disapproval rating of 50.4% and an approval rating of 38.6%. Still, those numbers are based on Americans’ attitude toward Harris before she launched her second presidential bid, so they could change in the coming weeks and months.
− Marina Pitofsky
In Oakland, Calfornia, grocery store checker Erica Guthrie burst into tears when she heard the news. In Philadelphia, the Rev. Carl Day says we’re living in “the worst reality TV show in the world right now.”
And in Colorado, stormchaser Jen Walton wants a vacation “from unprecedented times.”
After months of a seemingly inevitable clash between two long-known and well-understood presidential candidates, President Joe Biden’s Sunday decision to halt his reelection effort upended both the campaign and the day-to-day lives of Americans still reeling from the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump the weekend before.
It all comes atop years of nonstop political turmoil, and many Americans say they’re exhausted, excited, anxious and baffled, sometimes all at once.
− Trevor Hughes, Terry Collins and Lauren Villagran
West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin says he won’t seek the Democratic nomination for president.
Manchin, an independent who left the Democratic Party in May, reportedly had considered registering again as a Democrat and seeking the party’s presidential nomination after Biden announce he won’t run for a second term.
But Manchin told CBS News on Monday he’s not running. “I’m not going to be a candidate for president…,” he said. “I don’t need that in my life.”
–Michael Collins
More: Biden’s legacy: Triumphs, heartbreaks and a turbulent finale
Yes, Harris is eligible to run for president.
She fulfills all the requirements needed to run for president, which is that a candidate must be 35 years or older, a natural born U.S. citizen and a resident of the U.S. for 14 years. Harris is 59 years old and she was born in California.
−Sudiksha Kochi
Some polls show Harris beating Trump by one or two points and others showing her almost neck in neck with the former president.
A Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted between July 5 and July 9, found that 49% of registered voters would choose Harris while 47% would choose Trump.
But an NBC News poll conducted after the debate found Trump leading Harris 47% to 45% among registered voters. Likewise, a Fox News poll conducted between July 7 and July 10 found that 48% of registered voters would choose Harris if the election were held today compared to 49% for Trump.
−Sudiksha Kochi
Two of President Biden’s Cabinet secretaries – Attorney General Merrick Garland and Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of Homeland Secretary – praised his leadership for following the rule of law and protecting the country.
The praise contrasted with years of Republican attacks against Biden and his administration. Republicans have investigated the president’s son, Hunter Biden, who was convicted of gun charges and who still faces tax charges. Biden didn’t block the prosecutions.
Biden sat for an interview with a special counsel for investigated how classified documents were found at his home and former office. Republicans are fighting for the recording of the interview, despite the Justice Department releasing the transcript.
“From the beginning of his tenure, President Biden has made clear in both word and deed that he stands for the rule of law and for the Justice Department’s critical mission to protect the safety and the civil rights of everyone in our country,” said Garland, who was held in contempt by the House after refusing to release the recording.
Republicans have also accused the administration of weakening border security, allowing unprecedented waves of undocumented immigrants to enter. But Mayorkas said the country and world are better for Biden’s leadership in protecting the American people.
“When it comes to homeland security, he has taken and directed bold, innovative, and decisive actions to help safeguard our communities, secure our borders, harness the power of artificial intelligence, advance our cybersecurity, eradicate the scourge of fentanyl, and more – all while standing up for our nation’s values,” said Mayorkas, who was impeached by the House over border security. “It is a privilege to advance his vision of and for a strong, secure, and prosperous America.”
−Bart Jansen
The Democratic Party won’t officially name its presidential nominee until its convention in August, but Harris is the immediate frontrunner.
Biden, who chosen Harris as his vice presidential running mate four years ago, emphatically endorsed her to be the party’s nominee in a social media post Sunday shortly after announcing his decision to step out of the 2024 race.
Some other prominent Democrats also endorsed her, including Bill and Hillary Clinton. Others, including Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries issued statements lauding Biden but without explicitly endorsing Harris to succeed him.
Harris, however, has several advantages. She has already been vetted for national office during her tenure as Biden’s second-in-command. She has also been a part of Biden’s reelection apparatus for months.
–Karissa Waddick and Michael Collins
Biden endorsed Harris to become the Democratic nominee for president, but it’s the party’s 3,896 delegates who will pick their candidate.
Delegates can vote for someone other than Biden even if he won their states’ primaries earlier this year.
That’s possible because of a section in the DNC rules referred to as the “good conscience” clause, which states delegates shall “in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them.” The word “sentiment” is where much of the delegates’ support will hinge and opens the door to interpretation.
So delegates could vote for Biden, Harris or someone else. There is no system to automatically transfer the delegates from Biden to Harris.
–Kathryn Palmer and Michael Collins
Harris’ husband, Douglas Emhoff, has offered his thoughts on Biden’s withdrawal from the race.
“I am deeply grateful to @POTUS and @FLOTUS for their years of friendship and support,” the second gentleman wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “President Biden is a true patriot who leads our nation with honesty, decency, and integrity. Alongside @VP, they have fought tirelessly for families and communities, delivering for Americans across our nation. I am so proud of their accomplishments and thankful for their leadership.”
–Michael Collins
Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance criticized Biden’s and Harris’ tenure in office in a statement Sunday.
The Ohio senator, 39, called Biden the “worst” president of his lifetime and said Harris “has been right there with him every step of the way.”
“President Trump and I are ready to save America, whoever’s at the top of the Democrat ticket. Bring it on,” Vance said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
−Rachel Barber
More: Donald Trump berates Joe Biden, prepares to campaign against Kamala Harris
Biden announced that he’s dropping out of the 2024 race in a reflective letter penned to his fellow Americans. You can read the full message here.
− James Powel
Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. praised Biden for stepping out of the 2024 race.
“His infirmities were evident to any unbiased observer from the beginning,” Kennedy said on social media. “It was this progressive deterioration — and his abandonment of Democratic Party principles — that prompted me to enter the race and ensure American voters had a viable, vigorous alternative to Donald Trump.”
He also called on the Democratic Party to “return to its traditional commitment to democracy and exemplify it with an open process.”
−Sudiksha Kochi
When will Biden address the nation?
Americans can expect to hear more from Biden in the coming days, the president said in his announcement withdrawing from the race.
“I will speak to the nation later this week in more to detail about my decision,” he wrote.
He did not give an exact date or time.
− Natalie Neysa Alund
On the heels of Biden’s decision to end his bid for reelection amid intense pressure from scores of his own party leaders, all eyes are now on Chicago, where the Democratic National Convention is set to kick off next month.
The DNC is slated to take place Aug. 19 through Aug. 22.
− Natalie Neysa Alund
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Publish date : 2024-07-22 07:48:45
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