President Joe Biden will not seek reelection but will carry out the remainder of his term, he announced in a statement released Sunday. Minutes later, he endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor and called on Democrats to "come together and beat Trump."
"It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President," Biden 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."
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024
While Biden did not endorse Harris in that statement, he sent a follow-up tweet minutes later that offered his "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," he wrote.
The decision, which Biden plans to discuss in an address to the nation later this week, comes weeks after the octogenarian's disastrous debate performance against former president Donald Trump left Democrats clamoring for a replacement, both privately and publicly.
Biden initially responded with defiance, portraying himself as the only person who could defeat Trump in November and lashing out at his critics.
Over time, Democratic leaders—including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.), former House speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.), and former president Barack Obama—intensified their behind-the-scenes efforts to push Biden out.
The Biden campaign responded to reports of those efforts by dismissing speculations on the president's impending exit from the race as recently as Saturday and announcing the president's plans to campaign this coming week.
While Harris is now seen as the favorite to replace Biden as the Democratic nominee, it's unclear if the party will coalesce behind her ahead of the Democratic National Convention, which kicks off next month in Chicago.
Donors have expressed concern over Harris's viability and pointed toward a number of Democratic governors—including Pennsylvania's Josh Shapiro, Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer, California's Gavin Newsom, and Kentucky's Andy Beshear—as more ideal replacements. Newsom and Whitmer have reportedly declined to serve as Harris's running mate should Biden exit the race.
Republicans immediately argued that Biden should not remain America's commander in chief if he is unable to run for reelection. They also questioned how long Harris and other Democrats knew of Biden's mental decline, an issue that could plague the vice president should she secure the nomination.
"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," Rep. Elise Stefanik (R., N.Y.) said in a statement. "The Democrat Party is in absolute free fall for their blatantly corrupt and desperate attempt to cover up the fact that Joe Biden is unfit for office."
Trump, meanwhile, said Biden "was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve."
"He only attained the position of President by lies, Fake News, and not leaving his Basement," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. "All those around him, including his Doctor and the Media, knew that he wasn't capable of being President, and he wasn't."