In a letter released on Sunday, the president said that he believes “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 would speak to the matter further later this week.
His decision, made after weeks of growing pressure from members of his own party, throws Democrats into uncharted territory. Never before has a major party selected a new nominee so close to a general election.
It remains unclear who the Democratic nominee will be. In his letter, Biden did not immediately throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris, though he thanked her for “being an extraordinary partner.” It is possible that he may endorse her in the coming days.
Democrats now have just a few weeks to coalesce around a new nominee before the Democratic National Convention, scheduled to be held from August 19-22 in Chicago, Illinois.
At the convention, more than 4,000 delegates — the vast majority of which had been pledged to vote for Biden as the result of this year’s Democratic primaries — will officially select a new nominee.
Kamala Harris or an open convention?
In many ways, Kamala Harris appears to be the safest option. She’s already served as Vice President for three and a half years, is well-known to the public, and — perhaps most crucially — would be able to infrastructure and financial resources that the Biden campaign has spent months building up.
But some Democrats, skeptical of Harris’s chances against former President Donald Trump, have pushed for a “mini-primary” for potential nominees to make their case ahead of an open convention.
Under this scenario, a whole array of potential candidates — including figures like Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan or Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey — would have a few short weeks to win over the hearts of the delegates, who would then be free to vote for the candidate of their choice.
There’s been a lot of disagreement over this approach. While some believe it could be energizing for the part, others worry it may be divisive. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, a firm supporter of Biden’s, has called the idea “crazy.”
Republicans will continue hammering Democrats over Biden
One thing is for sure: Even with Biden out of the race, Republicans are likely to use him to hammer Democrats.
After all, he remains the president — and his decision to withdraw also raises fair questions about his ability to serve right now.
If Joe Biden doesn’t have the cognitive function to run for re-election, then he certainly doesn’t have the cognitive function to remain as Commander-In-Chief.
How can any Dem pushing him to drop out of the presidential race, argue in good faith that he should stay on as POTUS?
— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) July 19, 2024
Republicans are also likely to accuse Democrats of “covering” for Biden in the months before his disastrous debate performance, a line that many have already taken in the weeks since then.
Democrats who have called for Biden to step aside have often argued that the two questions are separate: They remain confident in his ability to serve out the remainder of his term, but don’t believe he can win.
On Sunday, immediately after Biden announced his decision to withdraw, Republican Sen. Josh Hawley called on Biden to resign.
“If you can’t run a mere political campaign, you can’t be President,” the Missouri senator wrote.
