Joe Biden drops out of 2024 Presidential race: What happens next?
WASHINGTON — President Biden triggered a last-minute political earthquake Sunday by announcing he won’t seek a second term — just days before Democratic delegates were due to nominate him — setting in motion a chaotic period to replace the incumbent.
Biden, 81, endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place atop the party’s ticket in the Nov. 5 election, but there’s no guarantee she will be easily coronated ahead of the Aug. 19-22 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Harris, 59, has irked fellow Democrats with her performance as Biden’s “border czar” — presiding over record-breaking illegal immigration — and has drawn criticism for her frequently awkward public appearances.
Detractors note Harris’s frequent “word salads” and badly bungled campaign for the 2020 nomination, in which she dropped out ahead of primaries and caucuses due to floundering, single-digit support in polls.
VIRTUAL VOTING BEGINS IN DAYS
The Democratic National Committee has not set a firm date for plans to nominate the ticket, but said in a letter last week that it would begin an unusual virtual voting period no earlier than Aug. 1 to meet an Ohio ballot-access deadline on Aug. 7.
Harris’ performance in the virtual roll call is likely to set the tone for the party’s upcoming convention, where she in theory could still be toppled if delegates reopen voting due to fears about her candidacy.
In his statement announcing he won’t run again, Biden said, “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.”
Will Biden resign?
Biden could add momentum to Harris’ candidacy by giving her the mantle of incumbency — thereby making her America’s first female president — ahead of the election, though there’s no indication yet he will do so.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) immediately called on Biden to resign after he threw in the towel over concerns about his mental fitness.
“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,” Johnson said.
The latest on President Biden’s decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race:
- Biden drops out of presidential race: live updates
- Kamala Harris campaign flooded with ‘record-breaking’ $81 million in donations in first 24 hours after Biden drops out
- Top Dems threatened to forcibly remove Biden from office unless he resigned, set him up to fail at Trump debate: sources
- Schumer, Pelosi played ‘good cop, bad cop’ to convince Biden to drop out with ex-speaker stating, ‘Easy way or the hard way’
- Trump and JD Vance accuse Dems of leading ‘coup’ against Biden, call to ‘invoke the 25th Amendment’
But Biden, whose dismal June 27 debate performance set in motion widespread calls for him to step aside, indicated he will remain president and finish his term.
“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,” he said.
Biden said in an interview taped Tuesday with BET that he would not drop out and would only reconsider if doctors told him it was necessary.
“If I had some medical condition that emerged, if somebody, if doctors came to me and said, you got this problem and that problem,” Biden said.
Biden is recovering from COVID-19 at his Delaware vacation home. Many doctors have speculated that he may have Parkinson’s disease or a related condition.
Democratic challengers to Harris?
Harris could face substantial challenges from fellow leading Democrats — especially if there are signs of her faltering in the coming month.
Leading Democrats in Washington have bandied about names such as Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Gov. JB Pritzker of Illionis and Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky — who would offer voters a fresh face without the political baggage of the Biden-Harris administration.
Voters rank top concerns as the economy — including inflation topping 20% since Biden and Harris took office and high interest rates — and illegal immigration, which is expected to be a major line of attack against Harris by Trump, 78.
It’s also possible Harris could face a smaller-scale revolt by more long-shot contenders — as did Biden in this year’s state nominating contests, which he handily won.
Who will be Harris’ running mate?
One of the biggest immediate questions is who Harris will pick to be her running mate — a decision she can make unilaterally ahead of delegate voting.
It’s widely expected that Harris will attempt to balance the Democratic slate with a VP pick who can diversify the ticket.
What to know about President Biden's decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race:
- President Biden announced Sunday he is dropping out of the 2024 presidential race — after weeks of prominent Democrats and donors calling on him to withdraw following his disastrous performance in the first presidential debate.
- In a letter posted on X Sunday afternoon, Biden admitted that it is in the “best interest of my party and country” for him to step down as the Democratic nominee.
- Biden wrote that he intends to serve out the remainder of his term and will address the country on his decision later this week.
- In a follow-up X post, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the suddenly open Democratic nomination. “Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year,” the president wrote.
- Former President Donald Trump reacted to the news by labeling Biden the “worst president in the history of our country” in a call with CNN.
The shortlist includes Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and Beshear, according to a Thursday report by the Hill.
Kelly, Cooper and Beshear all have been elected from Republican-leaning swing states.
A survey conducted by Public Policy Polling on July 17-18 indicated that Harris could boost her chances in swing-state Pennsylvania by picking the state’s Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro — leading Trump with 47% to 46%, according to the poll.
A different Kamala Harris?
Democrats expect that Harris will attempt to recast her public image as she prepares to take on Trump, who was leading Biden in most national and swing-state polls.
Harris’ public appearances have typically made little news and focused on toeing the party line or scoring light news coverage — such as a Friday visit with her nieces to supermodel Tyra Banks’ new Washington ice cream shop.
“For Kamala, it is Control-Alt-Delete. The rebooting of [her] brand has begun,” said a Democratic source who has previously spoken dismissively of her appeal and penchant for what they describe as “cackling” in public.
Democratic National Committee member Robert Zimmerman of New York told The Post he expects Harris to infuse new energy into the race — and that he believes Harris may easily secure the nomination.
“I call upon my colleagues on the Democratic National Committee, members of Congress and delegates to unite as a party in Chicago to unequivocally support Vice President Harris, who is fully prepared from day one to confront Donald Trump head-on,” he said.
Trump opens fire on Kamala
Trump, who accepted the Republican nomination last week just days after he narrowly survived an assassination attempt, is likely to turn his focus to his new challenger in an attempt to quickly define her candidacy.
The former president has ruthlessly sabotaged competitors in the past with brutal nicknames — bestowing onto Biden the nickname “Sleepy Joe” in the last election cycle and more recently dubbing Harris “Laffin’ Kamala.”
Trump on Saturday ridiculed the Democratic push to replace Biden among party leaders, who had described him as a threat to democracy — noting that Biden had won the nomination through primaries and caucuses.
Shortly after Biden dropped out, the pro-Trump super PAC MAGA Inc said that Harris had helped conceal Biden’s cognitive decline.
“Kamala Harris has lied for years now about Joe Biden’s mental condition and America suffered for it,” said spokesman Alex Pfeiffer. “It’s time now for her to tell the truth and answer this one question: If Joe Biden is unfit for the campaign trail, then how is he fit for office?”
