Live Updates: Biden Ends Reelection Campaign

President Joe Biden is ending his quest for reelection.

Biden announced his intention Sunday afternoon, promising to reveal more about his decision soon.

pic.twitter.com/RMIRvlSOYw

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” Biden’s statement posted on X read. “And 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 and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”

His statement thanked Vice President Kamala Harris “for being an extraordinary partner in all this work,” but the statement did explicitly endorse her as his successor.

However, in a subsequent statement posted to X, Biden offered “my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year.” Biden then called on Democrats to unite, writing “it’s time to come together and beat Trump.”

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

This is a developing story. See below for updates, all times Pacific.

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12:48 p.m. PT

Former President Barack Obama issued a statement praising Biden but, like Pelosi, offered no endorsement of Harris.

Lengthy statement from Barack Obama praising Joe Biden. No endorsement of Kamala Harris, yet pic.twitter.com/g17qUV1093

— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) July 21, 2024

12:36 p.m. PT

Democrat mega donor Alex Soros has spoken, throwing his support behind Harris.

It’s time for us all to unite around Kamala Harris and beat Donald Trump. She is the best and most qualified candidate we have. Long live the American Dream! 🇺🇸 🗽 #Harris2024 pic.twitter.com/KG09YnWHZK

— Alex Soros (@AlexanderSoros) July 21, 2024

12:30 p.m. PT

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issues a statement thanking Biden for his service but not offering any endorsement of Harris.

PELOSI thanks Biden for his service. No mention of Harris. pic.twitter.com/jB2tPHyCnB

— Lauren Fox (@FoxReports) July 21, 2024

Last week, Pelosi told colleagues that she supports an “open” and “competitive” nomination process if Biden drops out, the New York Times reported.

12:28 p.m. PT

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who was running in the Democratic primary before deciding to launch an independent run, announced that he will be holding a press conference at 5 p.m. ET today.

I will be giving a press conference today at 5 p.m. ET at the Kennedy Compound, Hyannis Port, Massachusetts.

— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) July 21, 2024

12:25 p.m. PT

The DNC Chair Jaime Harrison issued a statement that seems to acknowledge that the Democratic Party does not yet have a plan in place for deciding who the nominee will be.

“In short order, the American people will hear from the Democratic Party on next steps and the path forward for the nomination process,” he writes.

DNC Chair @harrisonjaime – “In short order, the American people will hear from the Democratic Party on next steps and the path forward for the nomination process.” pic.twitter.com/0mWXDsiItr

— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) July 21, 2024

12: 23 p.m. PT

Both Bill and Hillary Clinton issued a statement endorsing Harris.

Statement from President Clinton and Secretary Clinton pic.twitter.com/R7tYMFWbsu

— Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) July 21, 2024

12:19 p.m. PT

The Republican messaging is already turning to Harris. Donald Trump Jr. noted on X that Harris botched her major responsibility in the administration as Biden’s “border czar.”

Kamala Harris owns the entire leftwing policy record of Joe Biden. The only difference is that she is even more liberal and less competent than Joe, which is really saying something. She was put in charge of the border and we saw the worst invasion of illegals in our history!!!

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) July 21, 2024

The Make America Great Again PAC posted this ad to X.

Kamala was in on it. She covered up Joe’s obvious mental decline. Kamala knew Joe couldn’t do the job, so she did it. Look what she got done: a border invasion, runaway inflation, the American Dream dead. pic.twitter.com/H3Oyew0ug9

— MAGA War Room (@MAGAIncWarRoom) July 21, 2024

12:13 p.m. PT

Speculation has already begun over who the Democrats’ vice-presidential nominee will be, assuming that the party unites behind Harris as the top of the ticket. Names being mentioned include Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, California Gov. Gavin Newson, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Indiana Gov. Andy Beshear, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.

12:09 p.m. PT

Republican Nominee former President Donald Trump predicted last December that neither Biden nor Harris would be the Democratic nominee.

After Biden’s announcement today, Trump reportedly told CNN that he believes Harris will be easier to beat than Biden. He also called Biden “the worst president in the history of our country.”

In a phone call with CNN minutes after Biden announced his exit from the 2024 race, former President Trump responded, “He is the worst president in the history of our country. He goes down as the single worst president by far in the history of our country.” While it’s unclear who…

— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) July 21, 2024

12:06 p.m. PT

In what looks like an effort to preempt any legal challenges, Democrat lawyer Marc Elias declared on X that the still unknown Democratic nominee “will be on all 50 state ballots.”

Before the media gets rolling, let me be clear: The Democratic nominee for president will be on all 50 state ballots. There is no basis for any legal challenge. Period.

— Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) July 21, 2024

12:02 p.m. PT

Questions also remain as to whether Biden can transfer the campaign donations to Harris if she becomes the Democrats’ nominee. FEC Chairman Sean Cooksey posted this somewhat cryptic tweet on X after Biden’s announcement.

11 C.F.R. § 110.1(b)(3):

“If the candidate is not a candidate in the general election, all contributions made for the general election shall be either returned or refunded to the contributors or redesignated …, or reattributed …, as appropriate.”

— Sean Cooksey (@SeanJCooksey) July 21, 2024

However, it is possible that a potential Harris campaign could argue that the donations were also directed to her as well because she was Biden’s running mate.

12:00 p.m. PT

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is also calling on Biden to step down from his presidency. In a statement on X, Johnson writes: “If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President. He must resign the office immediately. November 5 cannot arrive soon enough.”

At this unprecedented juncture in American history, we must be clear about what just happened. The Democrat Party forced the Democrat nominee off the ballot, just over 100 days before the election.
 
Having invalidated the votes of more than 14 million Americans who selected Joe…

— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) July 21, 2024

11:52 a.m. PT

Even before today’s announcement by Biden, some were calling for him to step down from the presidency if he stepped aside from the nomination.

Republican Vice-Presidential Nominee Ohio Sen. JD Vance posted on X this morning before Biden’s announcement, “If Joe Biden ends his reelection campaign, how can he justify remaining President?”

If Joe Biden ends his reelection campaign, how can he justify remaining President?

Not running for reelection would be a clear admission that President Trump was right all along about Biden not being mentally fit enough to serve as Commander-in-Chief.

There is no middle ground.

— JD Vance (@JDVance1) July 21, 2024

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) said in a statement, “If Joe Biden can’t run for re-election, he is unable and unfit to serve as President of the United States. He must immediately resign.”

11:50 a.m. PT

Former Biden Chief of Staff Ron Klain on Democrat “donors and “electeds” to “end the political fantasy games” and united behind Harris, who he describes as “the only veteran of a national campaign.”

Now that the donors and electeds have pushed out the only candidate who has ever beaten Trump, it’s time to end the political fantasy games and unite behind the only veteran of a national campaign — our outstanding @vp, @KamalaHarris!! Let’s get real and win in November!

— Ronald Klain (@RonaldKlain) July 21, 2024