President Joe Biden released as statement Sunday that he will not seek reelection.
What to Know
- President Joe Biden has yielded to the escalating pressure from Biden’s Democratic allies to step aside following a disastrous debate performance against former President Trump on June 27
- Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him at the top of the Democratic ticket
- West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, an Independent, is a name that emerged Sunday night on NBC News' special report. There are several other contenders looking to replace Biden atop the Democratic ticket.
Vice President Kamala Harris, if she were to become the Democratic nominee for president, would have significant ground to make up in order to defeat former President Donald Trump in November.
On a national level, Harris polls only slightly better than President Joe Biden against Trump.
In the polling average tallied by NBC News, Biden trailed Trump 45% to 47% nationally, whereas Harris only inches slightly ahead of Biden, at 46% to Trump's 47%.
However, as NBC News national political correspondent Steve Kornacki pointed out Sunday, Harris' rollout as a presidential nominee could change her numbers against Trump.
Harris does not poll much better in favorability ratings either. Biden, in NBC News' average of polling, Biden scored 36% favorable to 57% unfavorable, whereas Harris stands at 38% favorable and 52% unfavorable.
There's a long way to go before we know if Vice President Kamala Harris will be the official Democratic nominee for president. But if she does become that nominee, who might she tap to be her vice presidential running mate?
Howard University associate professor Keneshia Grant shared her predictions with NBC Washington in D.C.
"Unfortunately for many folks on the left... I think what she's going to have to do is moderate some of her positions," Grant said. Harris is progressive on a number of issues, which could turn away voters in moderate states like Pennsylvania or Michigan. Another route to mitigate that could lie in a strategic VP pick, who Grant predicts will be a white male "from one of those battleground states: Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, something like that."
"I think if she's not able to be the super moderate, they will make this person the super moderate person," Grant said.
Grant is also interested to see whether the Democratic party unites behind Harris, noting that support from the party may be vital in November if they want to win Black voters.
Harris sees surge in donor money after Biden drops out of race
By Steve Coulter
Vice President Kamala Harris is already seeing a wave of financial support following President Joe Biden dropping out of the 2024 race.
CNBC reports the first wave of Harris back came from those who helped raise money during her failed 2020 Democratic primary fight and successful 2016 Senate campaign immediately mobilized with outreach to wealthy donors.
Next to follow were the Democratic Party's top financiers who had opted to hold back funds because they felt Biden should not lead the ticket after the June 27 debate against former President Donald Trump.
Small-dollar donors have also answered the call within the first several hours since Biden made his announcement.
Act Blue, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that fundraises for campaigns and organizations by collecting from small-dollar donors, said Harris had raised more than $27.5 million within the first five hours of converting her website to a form for fundraising.
RFK Jr. reacts to Biden's decision to drop out of the presidential race
By Staff
![RFK Jr. on Biden: ‘He was always proficient'](https://media.nbcbayarea.com/2024/07/RFK-JR-REACTS-TO-BIDEN.png?resize=850%2C478&quality=85&strip=all)
Medical condition didn't factor in Biden's decision, senior official says
By Monica Alba | NBC News
Biden’s decision to abandon his candidacy was not related to any new medical information, a senior administration official said.
Biden had said in an interview that aired last week that if “some medical condition” emerged, he might reconsider his decision to stay in the race.
"If doctors came to me and said, 'You got this problem, that problem,'” Biden hypothesized in the interview.
Biden has been monitored by his doctor since his Covid-19 diagnosis and has had bloodwork done related to that, but he hasn’t undergone any extensive tests or medical examinations in recent days, the official said.
Biden's last comprehensive physical exam was in February, White House physician Kevin O’Connor said in a letter this month.
Timeline: From the Biden-Trump debate to Biden's withdrawal: 25 days that shook American politics
By Shannon Pettypiece and Mark Murray | NBC News
![Biden, Trump](https://media.nbcbayarea.com/2024/07/240721-joe-biden-donald-trump-campaign2.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&resize=850%2C478)
Kevin Dietsch; Allison Bailey / Getty Images
Over just 25 days, the presidential race has been reshaped in historic proportions with an attempted assassination of one candidate and with another dropping out of the race.
With President Joe Biden announcing Sunday that he would no longer seek his party's nomination, it is unclear who the Democratic nominee will be just over 100 days before the election — though Biden and several other prominent Democrats have thrown their support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
Republicans appear to be seeing a wave of renewed enthusiasm from their base of voters following the failed attempt to assassinate former President Donald Trump last weekend.
It's a sharp reversal of course for a contest that was shaping up to be a largely predictable rematch of the 2020 election. Here is a timeline of the events that have redefined the 2024 presidential race:
Independent Sen. Joe Manchin is considering a White House run
By Julie Tsirkin | NBC News
Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., is eyeing a run for the White House, two sources who spoke to Manchin told NBC News.
The move would challenge Harris for the nomination; Manchin has not endorsed her and does not plan to publicly support her at this time, the sources said.
Manchin, who caucuses with Senate Democrats, called for Biden to exit the race earlier today. He launched a nonprofit political group to elevate centrist candidates, Americans Together, last year, and has long speculated that he could run for president — even having floated Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, as a possible running mate this year.
President Joe Biden has abandoned his reelection bid and backed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor. Democrats now must navigate this seismic change by the time they meet in Chicago Aug. 19-22 to formalize a new ticket.
Trump pushes for upcoming debate to move to Fox News
By Dennis Romero and Vaughn Hillyard | NBC News
Trump said today that the September Presidential debate, originally scheduled to be against Joe Biden, should be moved from ABC News to Fox News. A few of Fox News' top hosts have advised Trump and his previous campaign.
"Now that Joe has, not surprisingly, has quit the race, I think the Debate, with whomever the Radical Left Democrats choose, should be held on FoxNews, rather than very biased ABC," Trump said in a post on Truth Social, in which he called Biden "the Worst President in the history of the United States."
ABC News did not immediately respond to a request for comment about a possible network change for the Sept. 10 debate.
Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to an inquiry about whether he will go forward with the September debate as planned.
‘Road to victory in November runs right through Pennsylvania': Gov. Josh Shapiro says in endorsement of Harris
By Brendan Brightman
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is seen as a contender to be Harris' running mate, has endorsed her for president.
"The contrast in this race could not be clearer and the road to victory in November runs right through Pennsylvania – where this collective work began," Shapiro wrote in a post to X.
"I will do everything I can to help elect @KamalaHarris as the 47th President of the United States," he added.
The contrast in this race could not be clearer and the road to victory in November runs right through Pennsylvania – where this collective work began.
— Josh Shapiro (@JoshShapiroPA) July 21, 2024
I will do everything I can to help elect @KamalaHarris as the 47th President of the United States. pic.twitter.com/sqCkiAmCV7
Joe Biden will join this list of one-term US presidents
By Nelson Hsu and Noreen O'Donnell
Joe Biden is the first sitting president since 1968 to not seek a second term.
Kamala Harris doesn't have the Democratic nomination locked up yet, but one Washington D.C. club has cast its votes.
The Bunker Club, a gay bar in the U Street Corridor section of the nation's capital, posted a Congratulations Kamala post on Instagram — complete with $5 Piña Kamala Coconut Shots all night long (a play on Kamala's coconut tree meme).
washington dc is in peak form pic.twitter.com/i8uFMwhZhj
— Josh Sorbe (@joshsorbe) July 21, 2024
Zelenskyy thanks Biden for support in Ukraine's ‘fight for freedom'
By Nicole Acevedo | NBC News
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his nation "is grateful to President Biden for his unwavering support for Ukraine’s fight for freedom."
"Many strong decisions have been made in recent years and they will be remembered as bold steps taken by President Biden in response to challenging times," Zelenskyy said. "He supported our country during the most dramatic moment in history."
Ukraine is grateful to President Biden for his unwavering support for Ukraine's fight for freedom, which, along with strong bipartisan support in the United States, has been and continues to be critical.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 21, 2024
Many strong decisions have been made in recent years and they will be…
NBC Washington reporter Mauricio Casillas spoke to voters outside the White House who expressed relief over Biden's announcement. Still, there's a lot of unknowns about what happens next in the presidential race.
“I think he did the right thing. I think he did the patriotic thing. I think he did the thing that’s best for our country," said Patricia Greene, a Democratic voter.
Spoke to Patricia Greene outside the White House. She came out to show her appreciation for Pres. Biden:
— Mauricio Casillas (@MauricioNBC4) July 21, 2024
“He did the patriotic thing. I think he did the thing that’s best for our country. He’s one of the few politicians who does that and I have to respect him."@nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/I40KXw4ffF
“I’m hoping for a reset of the presidential race," said Patrick Spence, another Democrat. "I think we saw for a while that the president was struggling to get into number one and I think Kamala Harris can do it.”
Meanwhile, Michael Willie, an independent voter, hopes there will be a change in how Americans discuss the nation's future.
Hunter Biden praised his father, the president, in a statement today following his decision to step down as the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party.
“For my entire life, I’ve looked at my dad in awe,” Hunter Biden said. “How could he suffer so much heartache and yet give so much of whatever remained of his heart to others?”
He said he witnessed his father “absorb” the pain of countless Americans over his life, saying he would give them his personal phone number to call when they were “hurting.”
He said “unconditional love” has been Joe Biden’s north star as president and as a father, claiming that there is “no distance” between Joe Biden the man and Joe Biden the public servant over his 54 years in politics.
“I’m so lucky every night I get to tell him I love him, and to thank him,” Hunter Biden said. “I ask all Americans to join me tonight in doing the same. Thank you, Mr. President. I love you, Dad."
How Kamala Harris fares against Trump in the 2024 polls
By Mark Murray | NBC News
Several recent surveys show Harris doing the same against Trump — or just slightly better — than Biden did.
In NBC News’ latest national poll, conducted more than a week after Biden’s dismal debate performance but before the assassination attempt on Trump, both the president and Harris trailed Trump by 2-point margins among registered voters, though the actual percentages for each candidate were slightly different. Trump led Biden 45%-43%, while he took 47% to Harris’ 45% in their matchup. Both ballot tests fell within the poll’s margin of error.
Similarly, a post-debate national Fox News poll found Trump ahead by 1 point against both Biden (Trump 49%, Biden 48%) and Harris (Trump 49%, Harris 48%) among registered voters.
But other polls have shown Harris slightly outperforming Biden by 1 or 2 points — though, critically, still trailing Trump at this point in some key matchups.
Read the full story on NBCNews.com.
Biden for President re-files with the FEC as Harris for President
By Ben Kamisar and Rebecca Shabad | NBC News
Biden for President has changed its name with the Federal Election Commission to "Harris for President," according to new filings.
A notification from the campaign said Harris will be issuing new FEC filings soon.
“This letter is to inform you that Vice President Harris is no longer a candidate in the 2024 election for Vice President. Vice President Harris is now a candidate for United States President in the 2024 election and will henceforth be conducting campaign activities only in pursuit of that office. This committee’s Statement of Organization and the Statement of Candidacy are being amended accordingly," the notice to the FEC said.
Biden's legacy: Far-reaching accomplishments that didn't translate into political support
By Josh Boak | The Associated Press
![Biden's legacy: Far-reaching accomplishments that didn't translate into political support](https://media.telemundo47.com/2024/07/AP24203696315270.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&resize=850%2C478)
Sitting in the Oval Office behind the iconic Resolute desk in 2022, an animated President Joe Biden described the challenge of leading a psychologically traumatized nation.
The United States had endured a life-altering pandemic. There was a jarring burst of inflation and now global conflict with Russia invading Ukraine, as well as the persistent threat to democracy he felt Donald Trump posed.
How could Biden possibly heal that collective trauma?
“Be confident,” he said emphatically in an interview with The Associated Press. “Be confident. Because I am confident.”
Kamala Harris starts in driver's seat as Biden's 2024 replacement — but it's no guarantee
By Alex Seitz-Wald and Ben Kamisar, NBC News
![Kamala Harris starts in driver's seat as Biden's 2024 replacement — but it's no guarantee](https://media.nbcwashington.com/2019/09/Combo-Kamala-Harris-Biden.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&resize=850%2C478)
President Joe Biden released as statement Sunday that he will not seek reelection.
Now that President Joe Biden has announced he won’t run for re-election, he has endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, to be his successor as the Democratic presidential nominee.
But it’s not up to him, though Biden’s endorsement is the latest in several very powerful factors leaning Harris’ way.
While Biden won virtually all of the delegates to next month’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago and was the party’s presumptive nominee, he relinquished that title by stepping aside and has no direct power over choosing who those delegates will officially nominate.
That’s because the convention delegates, the people who actually pick the Democratic Party’s nominee, are not bound by any law or party rules to back the candidate they’re pledged to support. They only have to “in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them.”
Kamala Harris could become the first Black woman to head a major party's presidential ticket
By Chris Megerian | The Associated Press
![Kamala Harris could become the first Black woman to head a major party's presidential ticket](https://media.nbcphiladelphia.com/2024/07/AP24201815714596-e1721591199507.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&resize=850%2C478)
She's already broken barriers, and now Kamala Harris could become the first Black woman to head a major party's presidential ticket after President Joe Biden abruptly ended his reelection bid and endorsed her.
Biden announced Sunday that he was stepping aside amid widespread concerns about the viability of his candidacy.
Harris is the first woman, Black person or person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president. She joined the Biden ticket after a rocky and abbreviated run of her own for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
Biden said Sunday that deciding on Harris as vice president was “the best decision I've made.” He wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that she had his full support and endorsement to run against Donald Trump for the presidency. “Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump,” he said. “Let’s do this.”
Democrats praise Biden's achievements as president, with some endorsing Harris as his successor
By Rebecca Shabad | NBC News
Top Democrats on Sunday praised President Joe Biden for his accomplishments in the White House after he ended his re-election campaign, with some following his lead by expressing support for Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place as the party's 2024 presidential nominee.
Many Republicans, meanwhile, said that Biden's decision means he shouldn't continue serving the rest of his term in the White House, which ends in January.
After Biden announced he was exiting the presidential race in a letter Sunday afternoon, he endorsed Harris in a post on X.
Donald Trump donated $6,000 Kamala Harris's 2014 re-election campaign for California attorney general, according to California's Secretary of State's website.
Trump donated $5,000 in 2011 and $1,000 in 2013, according to the California's campaign finance database. Trump's daughter, Ivanka, donated another $2,000 to Harris in 2014. Harris defeated Republican Ronald Gold in the election.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., tweeted an image Sunday of the first check from Trump to Harris, saying it was a "wise investment."
Was a wise investment pic.twitter.com/S7C18nDFzA
— Jared Moskowitz (@JaredEMoskowitz) July 21, 2024
RFK Jr. commends Biden's decision, calls on DNC to hold an ‘open' process for new nominee
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running for president as an independent candidate, commended President Biden’s decision to step down in a post on X. Kennedy Jr. also called on the Democratic Party to hold an “open” process to select a new nominee, rather than “rig the nominating process again to get a monumentally unpopular vice president to step into President Biden’s shoes.”
"Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the independent presidential candidate, commended President Biden’s decision in a post on X and called on the Democratic Party to hold an “open” process for a new nominee, "instead of anointing a candidate hand-picked by DNC elites, the party should use neutral polling to identify the candidate who can best beat Donald Trump.
![](https://media.nbcwashington.com/2023/07/AP23193658524794.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&resize=850%2C478)
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a meeting with civil rights leaders and consumer protection experts to discuss the societal impact of Artificial intelligence, at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex, in Washington, Wednesday, July 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
In a statement, Vice President Kamala Harris praised President Joe Biden, thanked him for his leadership -- and said she intends to "earn and win the nomination."
The statement comes about two-and-a-half hours after Biden announced that he is ending his reelection bid, and two hours after Biden endorsed Harris.
“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination," Harris said. "Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election. And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead. I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party—and unite our nation—to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda.
“We have 107 days until Election Day. Together, we will fight. And together, we will win.”
Former President Barack Obama called Biden one of America's "most consequential presidents" and a "patriot of the highest order," but did not endorse Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him on the Democratic ticket.
"We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead," Obama wrote in a statement of his vice president. "But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges."
He wrote that Biden had helped to end the pandemic, created millions of jobs, lowered the cost of prescription drugs and passed the first major piece of gun safety legislation in 30 years.
"More than that, President Biden pointed us away from the four years of chaos, falsehood, and division that had characterized Donald Trump’s administration," Obama wrote.
Read the full statement here.
![‘I'm emotional': DNC chair reacts to Biden decision to drop out of presidential race](https://media.nbcbayarea.com/2024/07/33109579962-1080pnbcstations.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&resize=850%2C478)
Congressional Black Caucus PAC endorses Harris, praises Biden as the ‘ultimate statesman'
By Danielle Abreu
The Congressional Black Caucus PAC endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic presidential nominee in a statement.
"The Congressional Black Caucus PAC joins President Biden in fully supporting Kamala Harris as our party’s nominee. She has been instrumental in delivering the accomplishments of the last 3.5 years and has led on lowering maternal mortality rates, protecting reproductive freedoms, and ensuring economic opportunities for all. She will do an excellent job as President of the United States."
The statement describes Biden as "the ultimate statesman" who "dedicated his entire career, amid great personal sacrifice, in service to the values of democracy; civility, freedom and opportunity."
Former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on X that Biden was one of the "most consequential Presidents in American history."
She does not mention what comes next.
President Joe Biden is a patriotic American who has always put our country first. His legacy of vision, values and leadership make him one of the most consequential Presidents in American history.
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) July 21, 2024
With love and gratitude to President Biden for always believing in the promise of…
Bernie Sanders praises Biden, doesn't issue endorsement
By Doha Madani | NBC News
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., expressed gratitude to Biden for serving the country with honor but notably did not endorse the vice president in a brief statement posted to X.
"As the first president to ever walk on a picket line with striking workers, he has been the most pro-working class president in modern American history," Sanders wrote. "Thank you, Mr. President, for all you've done.
As many in the Democratic party have openly called for Biden to step aside, Sanders supported Biden's bid for re-election against a wave of critics.
Joe Biden has served our country with honor and dignity.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) July 21, 2024
As the first president to ever walk on a picket line with striking workers, he has been the most pro-working class president in modern American history.
Thank you, Mr. President, for all you’ve done.
Biden’s campaign recently reported $91 million cash on hand. Allied Democratic campaign committees brought the total at his disposal to more than $240 million.
Since their campaign account was registered with the Federal Election Commission in the name of both candidates, Harris could use those funds for her own presidential effort now that Biden has dropped out, according to Kenneth Gross, senior political law counsel at Akin Gump and former associate general counsel for the Federal Election Commission.
However, if Harris were not to accept the nomination and Democrats nominate someone else, party accounts could still benefit the nominee, but the Biden-Harris account would have more restrictions. For example, legal experts say it could become an independent expenditure political action committee (PAC) but not simply transfer its balance to a different nominee.
Republicans quickly start hitting Harris on the border
By Jason Abbruzzese | NBC News
With Biden backing Harris for the Democratic nomination, some Republicans are quickly pivoting to attack her on some of the election's key issues, most notably border security.
"Reminder.. Vice President Harris is in charge of securing the southern border," Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., wrote on X.
Several other Republican politicians and conservative organizations echoed that sentiment.
"The American ppl are sick & tired of the Biden-Harris open border policies + high cost of living crushing family budgets," Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, wrote on X. "A change in candidate doesn’t fool anyone Changing horses midstream isn’t going to stop the bad policies +reckless agenda at the top of the Democrat ticket."
The National Republican Congressional Committee posted: "Border Czar Kamala Harris was Biden & extreme House Democrats’ enabler in chief."
When she was campaigning as Joe Biden's running mate, Kamala Harris' central campaign message focused on one theme: Abortion rights.
"“If we, in this year of our Lord 2024, have a state of being where the government can tell you what to do with your body — I mean, the most basic of things you should have control over — everybody better watch out about what other freedoms you’re taking for granted,” Harris said at a campaign event last week in Michigan.
An NBC News poll last year showed that 61% of Americans disagreed with the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Republicans celebrated the Supreme Court decision last year, but have been quiet on the issue as the election approaches. At the RNC convention last week, abortion was barely mentioned.
Any curveball during a U.S. presidential campaign is certain to produce a flurry of state and federal lawsuits in this hyper-partisan era, and some conservatives have threatened just that.
State laws, though, typically do not prescribe how parties choose their nominees for president. And some GOP figures – Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey – have worked already this year to ensure their party did not deny Democrats’ routine ballot access.
DNC Chair: Americans will hear soon about ‘next steps and path forward'
By Alexandra Marquez | NBC News
Democratic National Committee Chair Jamie Harrison said in a statement that Democrats will share more about "next steps and a path forward" shortly.
"The work that we must do now, while unprecedented, is clear," he said. "In the coming days, the Party will undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward as a united Democratic Party with a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump in November. This process will be governed by established rules and procedures of the Party. Our delegates are prepared to take seriously their responsibility in swiftly delivering a candidate to the American people."
Beshear says Biden's decision was ‘in the best interest of our country'
By Doha Madani | NBC News
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear urged the nation to come together as he praised Biden for the last four years and his decision to step aside.
"While his decision today could not have been easy, it is in the best interest of our country, and our party," Beshear said in a statement today. "I want to thank him for his leadership, kindness and for a successful presidency that got big, important things done."
Some political pundits have speculated that Beshear, a Democrat, could be a potential running mate for Harris if she is selected as the party's nominee. The governor noted that Harris as well as Biden led the country through the aftermaths of both the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and the coronavirus pandemic.
"We need to dial down the anger, rancor, and noise," Beshear wrote. "We have an opportunity to remember that we are taught to treat our neighbors as ourselves — and that we are all each other's neighbors."
My statement on President Joe Biden's decision: pic.twitter.com/88dg4ooVu5
— Andy Beshear (@AndyBeshearKY) July 21, 2024
Biden told his senior team he had changed his mind about staying in the race at 1:45 p.m. today, according to a source with direct knowledge. The message last night had been full speed ahead with his campaign.
DNC Chair Jaime Harrison was speaking at the party's meeting of the convention credentials committee when he learned of Biden’s decision to not seek reelection.
“I just want to say this on a personal level, I am emotional about the president’s decision because this president, Joe Biden, has been a transformational president, he’s been a great leader, he’s a good man, a decent man, who has done so much for this nation, done so much to see us as people, to value us, to fight for us,” Harrison said. “I’m emotional, because I’m still, still, riding with Biden. I still support my president. And we will get through this my friends, as we always do."
A common talking point is emerging from Republican politicians this afternoon: If Biden isn't running, he should resign the presidency now.
House Speaker Mike Johnson: "If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President. He must resign the office immediately."
Sen. Steve Daines of Montana: "If Joe Biden is no longer capable of running for re-election, he is no longer capable of serving as President."
Jasmine Crockett says she will only support Kamala Harris
By Elleiana Green | NBC News
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, said she will only support Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election after Biden dropped out.
"I know one thing, I will only work for @KamalaHarris!" Crockett said in a post on X shortly before Biden endorsed Harris. "If it’s anyone OTHER than her, enjoy campaign season."
She also took a dig at Democrats in general, without naming anyone.
"Well I hope the geniuses that pushed the most consequential President of our lifetime out, have a plan," she said. "Joe wasn’t the problem… dems were."
What could happen at Chicago DNC as President Joe Biden drops reelection bid
By NBC Chicago Staff and Associated Press
![What could happen at Chicago DNC as President Joe Biden drops reelection bid](https://media.nbcbayarea.com/2024/07/web-dnc-united-center-7-17.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&resize=850%2C478)
President Joe Biden will no longer seek reelection after weeks of questions and Democrats calling for him to step aside
After weeks of pressure following a much-criticized debate performance, President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he will no longer seek reelection to the Oval Office.
Biden also endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be the party’s nominee for the presidency, thrusting her into the spotlight with a little more than three months to go until the 2024 election on November 5.
Now all attention will turn toward the Democratic National Convention, which will take place Aug. 19-22 at the United Center in Chicago. The decision on whether Harris will be selected as nominee, and who will take the spot next to her on the ticket as her running mate, will be made official during that event in what will undoubtedly be one of the most closely watched conventions in recent memory.
Here's what would happen along the way.
Joseph R. Biden, once considered too young to serve, now too old to win
By Peter Nicholas | NBC News
![Joe Biden](https://media.nbcbayarea.com/2024/07/GettyImages-1461035200.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&resize=850%2C478)
Then newly elected Senator Joe Biden.
So ends the half-century career of a flawed but resilient politician who won the White House in a razor-thin election and lost it four years later in a debate: Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr.
Biden, 81, now eases into a lame-duck presidency for the next six months, as the party he once commanded abandoned him in the span of a few weeks for an as-yet-unnamed candidate to carry the fight against Donald Trump.
Biden’s collapse began with a June 27 debate against Trump, when he turned in a disastrous performance from which he couldn’t recover. An elderly president with his mouth agape, he struggled to complete a sentence or finish a thought. One by one, Democratic leaders who watched in alarm broke their polite silence and openly called on him to step aside.
Stunning as his fall may be, Biden may be better prepared than most to deal with repudiation. Few presidents in history have endured as much tragedy and disappointment as the 46th.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer praises Biden for putting ‘his country, his party' first
By Danielle Abreu
“Joe Biden has not only been a great president and a great legislative leader but he is a truly amazing human being. His decision of course was not easy, but he once again put his country, his party, and our future first," Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement to NBC News.
“Joe, today shows you are a true patriot and great American," Schumer said.
Gretchen Whitmer voices support for Biden after he drops out
By Angela Yang | NBC News
In the wake of Biden’s announcement, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced in an X post that she will continue “doing everything I can to elect Democrats and stop Donald Trump.”
“His remarkable work to lower prescription drug costs, fix the damn roads, bring supply chains home, address climate change, and ensure America’s global leadership over decades will go down in history," she wrote of Biden’s legacy.
Whitmer, who has been floated as a potential nominee to replace Biden, closed her statement by describing Trump as “completely wrong for Michigan.”
What happens to Biden's delegates? They get to do what they want.
By Ben Kamisar | NBC News
Unlike Republican delegates, who are bound to their candidate, Democratic delegates aren’t.
So now that Biden is no longer seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, his delegates are free to do what they want at the convention.
Right now, the rules say that the delegates simply have to “in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them.”
When Biden was the only major candidate seeking the nomination and won virtually every nominating contest this year, it was easy to determine what that meant: vote for Biden at the convention to be the party’s official nominee. Now that he’s dropped out, these delegates can do what they want (pending any rules changes at the convention meant to address this unprecedented situation).
President Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic nominee for president.
"Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year," Biden said. "Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this."
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
Who could be on the Democratic ballot now that Biden has stepped aside?
By Staff and wire reports
![(L-R) Vice President Kamala Harris, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.](https://media.nbcchicago.com/2024/07/biden-replacements.png?resize=850%2C478&quality=85&strip=all)
(L-R) Vice President Kamala Harris, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
President Joe Biden has dropped out of the 2024 presidential race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor. However, although Harris begins the shortened contest in the driver's seat, she is not guaranteed the nomination for president.
Here are some of the candidates who could be her running mate, all of whom have endorsed her.
Seen as the frontrunner to replace Biden on the ticket is his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris. Harris, 59, will have a head start over several of the most discussed Democratic alternatives.
She's already been on a winning presidential ticket with Biden, has years of goodwill banked with core party constituencies and would likely control a huge campaign fund amassed by the Biden reelection.
Biden's granddaughter Naomi Biden posted on X that she was "nothing but proud" of Joe Biden after he announced he will not withdraw from the presidential race.
I’m nothing but proud today of my Pop, our President, Joe Biden, who has served our country with every bit of his soul and with unmatched distinction. Not only has he been—and will continue to be—the most effective president of our lifetime, but he has likely already cemented…
— Naomi Biden (@NaomiBiden) July 21, 2024
This rare process occurs when there is no pre-determined nominee for a political party.
![What is an open convention?](https://media.nbcbayarea.com/2024/07/GettyImages-105087038.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&resize=850%2C478)
Biden did not endorse Vice President Kamala Harris in announcement dropping out of race
By Rebecca Shabad | NBC News
Biden didn't endorse Vice President Kamala Harris — or anyone else — in the letter announcing that he's dropping out of the race.
He only praised Harris for her work as his vice president.
"I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work," he wrote. "And let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me."
President Joe Biden said he is stepping aside from the presidential race in a letter posted to X.
“It has been the greatest honor of my lift to serve as your president,” he wrote. “And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, 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.”
Biden said he will speak to the nation later this week “in more detail about my decision.”