President Joe Biden Drops Out of the Race

President Joe Biden on Sunday concluded his campaign for a second term under continuous pressure from fellow Democrats and swiftly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in a last-minute bid to stop Trump from returning to the White House. 

The president’s decision sets the stage for an unpredictable Harris campaign, leaving the vice president only 107 days to garner Democratic support and establish herself as the nominee. 

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” said Biden in a letter posted on social media. “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.”

Although Democratic National Convention delegates must ratify the choice of Harris to take over as the nominee next month, Biden’s endorsement means the nomination is hers to lose. Biden, 81, remains president and plans to finish out his term until January.

Many commentators and politicians on the right warn Republicans not to write off Harris as the potential Democratic nominee, citing her popularity among Generation Z. Other commentators on the right view Biden’s decision not as an act of patriotism, but merely a last-ditch effort to save the Democratic party from collapse. Some on the left are hopeful of Harris’ potential chances as compared to Biden’s against Trump. Others on the left see Biden’s decision as a too-little-too-late situation, with Harris not having enough time to campaign before November if she were to become the nominee.

In the Daily Beast Opinion (Left bias), Keli Goff wrote, “...while it pains me to say it, I hope she [Harris] will consider following Joe Biden’s lead by putting the country first and stepping aside.” The writer argued, “Recent polling of Black voters…provided a much-needed reality check.”

A writer for Fox News Opinion (Right bias) argued that “The American people saw it clearly,” referring to Biden’s alleged cognitive decline. The writer added that “They played American voters for fools in the weeks following the debate after the president’s cognitive decline was made abundantly clear…The courtiers and aides who defended their power and privilege at his expense, including Jill and Hunter, must be held accountable.”

Bloomberg Opinion (Lean Left bias) columnist Nia-Malika Henderson said, “As she [Harris] descended the steps of Air Force Two to greet state officials, she looked every bit like a woman who could lead the free world…This ‘new’ Kamala, backed by the entire apparatus of the Democratic Party, is confident and comfortable with herself and her message.” Henderson concluded that “In the hours after Biden stepped away as the Democratic nominee, Harris landed a very big endorsement: not Hillary Clinton or the slew of Democratic governors who could have been her challengers, though she did get those, but Charli xcx,” referring to the British pop star popular among Generation Z. “On social media, she is the fun aunt, the stepmother who tries a bit too hard and laughs a bit too much at her own jokes.”

A piece by the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board (Lean Right bias) stated that “Ms. Harris is talking as if she’s running in the Democratic primaries and trying to beat California Gov. Gavin Newsom for her party’s presidential nod.”