Market Data 
President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to succeed him on Sunday.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” Biden wrote in a letter posted to his official account on X. “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.
In a follow-up post, Biden praised Harris and urged Democrats to unite behind her. “My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President,” Biden wrote. “And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year.”
Harris, who was informed of Biden’s decision Sunday, said in a statement that she was “honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination.” She is spending the day reaching out to lawmakers, outside organizations and donors, and was slated to make up to 200 calls on Sunday alone, a top Democratic source close to her told CNN.
Many prominent Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, quickly came out in support of Harris, although some who released statements reacting to Biden’s decision did not mention the vice president, including former President Barack Obama.
“I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges,” Obama said in a statement that kept the focus on Biden.
An adviser said Obama is taking the same approach as he did in the 2020 Democratic primary, watching closely with the intent of being able to help unify the party when a nominee is chosen – whether it is Harris or someone else.
Others explicitly called for an open process to determine who should replace Biden at the top of the ticket.
Later Sunday, the Biden-Harris campaign formally amended its filings with the Federal Election Commission to rename its principal committee “Harris for President.” But Harris’ ascension to the top of the ticket isn’t a certainty. The nominee will now be determined by the delegates to the Democratic National Convention. While Biden won an overwhelming majority of the delegates during the primary process earlier this year, they are now free to choose a candidate of their choice and he cannot simply transfer them to Harris.
Biden’s departure capped off weeks of concern about the 81-year-old president’s stamina and mental capabilities and skepticism of his ability to effectively campaign against former President Donald Trump and govern the country for another four years. While Biden said he is committed to serving out the remainder of his term, his decision sparked immediate calls from Republicans for him to step down as president. Trump said Biden “is not fit to serve” in a post on Truth Social.
In a phone call with CNN after Biden’s announcement, Trump said Biden would go down “as the single worst president by far in the history of our country” and said he thought Harris would be easier to defeat than Biden.
Other leading Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, called on Biden to “resign the office immediately.”
“If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President,” Johnson said in a statement.
It’s the first time a one-term US president has dropped out of a reelection run in decades and recalls President Lyndon Johnson’s decision not to seek a second full term in 1968 – though Biden’s decision comes months later in the campaign than Johnson’s. It’s also the latest shocking development in a highly charged political campaign that has included an attempt on Trump’s life.
But not even the attempted assassination on Trump and its tumultuous effect on the race would pause the drain of support Biden was facing among congressional Democrats who became increasingly convinced that a wipeout in November would also drown their down-ballot contests as well.
Biden’s final decision to leave the race was reached in the last 48 hours, a senior campaign adviser said, as he consulted family and top advisers by telephone. He did not have a final in-person meeting with his top campaign or White House advisers as he recovered from Covid-19 at his beach home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
As his decision neared its end, first lady Jill Biden remained her husband’s most ardent supporter. “Down to the last hours of the decision only he could make, she was supportive of whatever road he chose,” Jill Biden’s communications director Elizabeth Alexander said in a statement to CNN.
The president’s exit from the race sets the stage for the conclusion to a political career that has spanned a half-century, one that saw Biden enter as one of the youngest senators in US history and exit as its oldest president.
Age and questions about the president’s mental faculties had been Biden’s biggest political liability since he first ran against Trump in 2020. Biden’s disastrous performance at a June 27 CNN debate – during which the president spoke softly, had a glazed-over look and, at one point, appeared to lose his train of thought mid-sentence while his opponent delivered an animated, while mainly fact-free performance – brought those concerns to the forefront of the political conversation and ultimately doomed his reelection push.
Biden’s campaign had asked for the June debate in the hopes that it would force voters to tune into the race – and what Biden had said was at stake – earlier than usual. But that strategy appeared to backfire as the president solidified what had been the most persistent concern about his candidacy.
The president’s performance shocked his donors, closest allies and the 50 million Americans who saw Biden stumble throughout the 90-minute debate — the most extensive exposure to an unscripted Biden since the last round of general-election debates four years ago. It left the White House and Biden campaign in a frenzied scramble to explain away his condition – at first, blaming it on a cold, before days later saying the president had been jet lagged by his international travel that wrapped up about 12 days prior to the debate.
The president’s surrogates and campaign officials sought to soothe Democratic anxieties, hurriedly calling meetings with donors and top supporters to assure them that Biden’s performance was the product of one bad night and ask them to consider it in the context of his three-and-a-half-year presidency.
The president himself recognized how poorly the night had gone almost immediately; at a campaign rally the next day, he sought to promote an animated and energized image that had largely been absent from the debate stage.
“I don’t walk as easy as I used to,” Biden said. “I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used to. But I know what I do know: I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong. I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done.”
But the damage had already been done.
By the Monday after the debate, murmurs about replacing Biden on the ticket had grown into a full public conversation. The mood in the White House and at Biden’s campaign headquarters in Wilmington had turned sour. Biden, seeking to assert his control over his campaign and the presidency, delivered brief remarks that evening on the Supreme Court’s immunity decision earlier that day, asking voters to “dissent” in a rare political overture from the White House.
The next day, Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first member of Congress from Biden’s own party to ask him to drop out. The fractures in Biden’s support have grown steadily wider every day since. By the time Biden exited the race, dozens of lawmakers had asked him to bow out.
So had major donors. Actor George Clooney, who has known Biden for years and was one of Hollywood’s biggest boosters of the president, said in a July 10 New York Times opinion piece that Democrats “are not going to win in November with this president” and called for the party to pick a new nominee.
health care overhaul was passed in March 2009. It was the biggest expansion of health care guarantees in more than four decades, and it represented a significant step toward the goal of universal coverage, which had been sought by every Democratic President since Harry Truman.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1630″ width=”2898″ loading=’lazy’/>
the mission against Osama bin Laden in May 2011. (Editor’s note: The classified document in front of Hillary Clinton was obscured by the White House.)” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2731″ width=”4096″ loading=’lazy’/>
fierce resistance to new gun legislation thwarted nearly all of the administration’s plans.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1687″ width=”3000″ loading=’lazy’/>
that went viral on social media.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2622″ width=”4661″ loading=’lazy’/>
his signature aviator sunglasses as he addresses graduating students at Yale University in May 2015.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1981″ width=”3522″ loading=’lazy’/>
died at the age of 46 after a battle with brain cancer.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1125″ width=”2000″ loading=’lazy’/>
Democratic National Convention in July 2016.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”3300″ width=”4951″ loading=’lazy’/>
surprises Obama on his birthday in August 2016.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1067″ width=”1600″ loading=’lazy’/>
Watch CNN’s Jeanne Moos on the “endless embrace.”” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2331″ width=”4144″ loading=’lazy’/>
greets Ruth Bonner, a 99-year-old daughter of a young slave who escaped to freedom, as he and his wife attend the September 2016 opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1633″ width=”2000″ loading=’lazy’/>
they had lunch in Washington, DC, in November 2016.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1915″ width=”2872″ loading=’lazy’/>
surprises him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January 2017. “For your faith in your fellow Americans, for your love of country and for your lifetime of service that will endure through the generations, I’d like to ask the military aide to join us on stage,” Obama said in the ceremony. “For my final time as President, I am pleased to award our nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.” ” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2608″ width=”4000″ loading=’lazy’/>
addressed the question head-on. “Guys, I’m not running!” he said with a smile, as the audience in the hotel ballroom booed in response.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1672″ width=”2972″ loading=’lazy’/>
he would be running for president for a third time.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2001″ width=”2974″ loading=’lazy’/>
went after Biden over his early-career opposition to federally mandated busing. “I did not oppose busing in America,” Biden told Harris. “What I opposed is busing ordered by the Department of Education.”” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1411″ width=”2311″ loading=’lazy’/>
calling him a “damn liar” after the man accused Biden of sending his son to Ukraine “to get a job and work for a gas company, that he had no experience with gas, nothing.” Hunter Biden served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company while his father was vice president. He said recently he used “poor judgment” in serving on the board of the company while his father was pushing anti-corruption measures in Ukraine on behalf of the US government, but he added that he didn’t do anything improper. There is no evidence of wrongdoing by either Joe or Hunter Biden.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2001″ width=”3000″ loading=’lazy’/>
The exchange was aired as part of the Times’ TV series “The Weekly,” and was circulated on social media. In August 2020, Brittany gave the first speech officially nominating Biden for president at the Democratic National Convention. “I take powerful people up on my elevator all the time,” Brittany said. “When they get off, they go to their important meetings. Me, I just head back to the lobby. But in the short time I spent with Joe Biden, I could tell he really saw me. That he actually cared, that my life meant something to him. And I knew even when he went into his important meeting, he’d take my story in there with him.” Biden responded on Twitter: “Jacquelyn: Your nomination means the world to me. Thank you — and I hope you know: we love you back.”” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1587″ width=”2380″ loading=’lazy’/>
winning the South Carolina primary in February 2020. “Just days ago, the press and pundits had declared this candidacy dead,” Biden said in his speech to supporters. “Because of you, the heart of the Democratic Party, we just won and we won big because of you. We are very much alive.”” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2000″ width=”3000″ loading=’lazy’/>
endorses him for president in March 2020. Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, had just dropped out of the Democratic race.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2333″ width=”3500″ loading=’lazy’/>
testy exchange about gun rights as he tours a Fiat Chrysler assembly plant in Detroit in March 2020. A man confronted Biden and accused the former vice president of trying to “take away our guns.” Biden responded, “You’re full of s***” and tried to clarify his policies, saying he supports the Second Amendment. ” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2996″ width=”4500″ loading=’lazy’/>
their one-on-one debate in Washington, DC, in March 2020. The two Democrats went with an elbow bump instead of a handshake because of the coronavirus pandemic. Sanders ended his presidential campaign the following month, clearing Biden’s path to the Democratic nomination.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1333″ width=”2000″ loading=’lazy’/>
denied a former aide’s claims that he sexually assaulted her 27 years ago. “This never happened,” Biden said of Tara Reade’s allegation. In an interview with MSNBC, Biden said he did not know why Reade was now making the allegation.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1500″ width=”3000″ loading=’lazy’/>
In a CNN interview, Biden called President Donald Trump “an absolute fool” for sharing a tweet that mocked him for wearing a mask.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1066″ width=”1600″ loading=’lazy’/>
pledged to take steps to combat institutional racism and re-establish a police oversight body at the Justice Department.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1667″ width=”2500″ loading=’lazy’/>
The talking points fueled fresh speculation about Harris’ standing as a possible running mate.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1667″ width=”2500″ loading=’lazy’/>
their first campaign event as a presidential ticket.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1769″ width=”2500″ loading=’lazy’/>
accepts the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination during a speech at the Democratic National Convention. “This campaign isn’t just about winning votes,” Biden said. “It is about winning the heart and, yes, the soul of America.”” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1333″ width=”2000″ loading=’lazy’/>
Democratic National Convention in August 2020. They are joined on stage by Biden’s wife, Jill, and Harris’ husband, Douglas Emhoff.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2000″ width=”3000″ loading=’lazy’/>
a careful approach to campaigning.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2022″ width=”3000″ loading=’lazy’/>
the first presidential debate in September 2020. At center is moderator Chris Wallace, who had his hands full as the debate often devolved into shouting, rancor and cross talk that sometimes made it impossible to follow what either candidate was talking about.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1125″ width=”2000″ loading=’lazy’/>
separate town halls instead of debating each other in a town-hall format. The schedule change came about after Trump was diagnosed with the coronavirus. The Commission on Presidential Debates proposed a virtual debate, but Trump refused to take part and Biden went ahead with plans for his own town hall. Trump’s campaign later arranged its own town hall — on a different network, during the same hour.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1390″ width=”2000″ loading=’lazy’/>
their first debate quickly descended into a glorified shouting match, the Commission on Presidential Debates instituted an unprecedented change this time around: The candidates had their microphones cut off while their opponent responded to the first question of each of the debate’s six segments.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1333″ width=”2000″ loading=’lazy’/>
Biden told supporters at a drive-in rally in Wilmington, Delaware. “I’m not here to declare that we have won. But I am here to report when the count is finished, we believe we will be the winners.”” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1736″ width=”2500″ loading=’lazy’/>
tweeted this photo after her husband was projected as the winner of the presidential race. “He will be a President for all of our families,” she said.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1069″ width=”1600″ loading=’lazy’/>
he was nominating to join his national security and foreign policy team. “It’s a team that will keep our country and our people safe and secure,” Biden said. “And it’s a team that reflects the fact that America is back, ready to lead the world, not retreat from it.”” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1319″ width=”2000″ loading=’lazy’/>
after the US Capitol was breached in January 2021. Biden was planning to deliver a speech on the economy, but he scrapped his speech and instead addressed the chaos and violence in Washington, DC. He said the rioting amounted to an “unprecedented assault” on US democracy. “This is not dissent. It’s disorder. It’s chaos,” he said. “It borders on sedition, and it must end now.”” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2000″ width=”3000″ loading=’lazy’/>
his inauguration in January 2021.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1067″ width=”1600″ loading=’lazy’/>
longstanding tradition of Presidents and their families bringing their pets with them to the White House. Champ died in June 2021 at the age of 13.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1066″ width=”1600″ loading=’lazy’/>
withdraw American troops from Afghanistan before September 11. “I am now the fourth American president to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan. Two Republicans. Two Democrats,” Biden said. “I will not pass this responsibility to a fifth.”” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1953″ width=”2930″ loading=’lazy’/>
Biden’s speech focused on the administration’s accomplishments thus far and unveiled key components of his next legislative push.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2000″ width=”3000″ loading=’lazy’/>
met with former President Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter at the Carters’ home in Plains, Georgia, in April 2021. The photo grabbed people’s attention on social media because of what appeared to be a significant size difference between the two couples. While many experts theorized that it was the result of a wide-angle lens, Adam Schultz, the chief official White House photographer, declined to explain when reached by The New York Times.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1069″ width=”1600″ loading=’lazy’/>
a summit between Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin in June 2021. Seated from left are US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Biden, Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The summit, held in Geneva, Switzerland, was the first meeting of Biden and Putin since Biden was elected President.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2000″ width=”3000″ loading=’lazy’/>
Biden traveled to Surfside to console families still waiting on news of their loved ones. Their meetings were closed to the press.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2001″ width=”3000″ loading=’lazy’/>
a suicide bombing in Afghanistan that killed Afghan civilians and US service members in August 2021. The terror group ISIS-K, which rivals the Taliban in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the bombing. “We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay,” he said.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2000″ width=”3000″ loading=’lazy’/>
lay out the framework of his economic plan and make his case for it.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1688″ width=”3000″ loading=’lazy’/>
his trip to the Vatican in October 2021. Between them is Italian translator Elisabetta Savigni Ullmann. It was the fourth meeting between Francis and Biden, but their first since Biden became President. Biden, a devout lifelong Catholic, met with the Pope for 90 minutes and said he discussed “a lot of personal things” with the pontiff.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2001″ width=”3000″ loading=’lazy’/>
bipartisan infrastructure bill into law during a White House ceremony in November 2021. The $1.2 trillion legislation focuses on infrastructure such as roads and bridges.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1667″ width=”2500″ loading=’lazy’/>
the President had tested positive for Covid-19.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2000″ width=”3000″ loading=’lazy’/>
Capitol riot. In his remarks, Biden forcefully called out former President Donald Trump for attempting to undo American democracy. “For the first time in our history, a president had not just lost an election. He tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power as a violent mob reached the Capitol,” Biden said. “But they failed. They failed. And on this day of remembrance, we must make sure that such an attack never, never happens again.”” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1663″ width=”2500″ loading=’lazy’/>
Ketanji Brown Jackson as the Senate votes on her nomination to the US Supreme Court in April 2022. Jackson was confirmed and made history as the first Black woman on the court.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2000″ width=”3000″ loading=’lazy’/>
Inflation Reduction Act at the White House in August 2022. Also pictured from left are Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Majority Whip Rep. Jim Clyburn, New Jersey Rep. Frank Pallone and Florida Rep. Kathy Castor. ” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1887″ width=”3000″ loading=’lazy’/>
defeat opponent Mehmet Oz in one of the most closely-watched races of the midterms.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2006″ width=”3000″ loading=’lazy’/>
See the history of White House weddings.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2000″ width=”3000″ loading=’lazy’/>
surprise visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, in February 2023.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2400″ width=”3600″ loading=’lazy’/>
pointed to the compromise measure that raised the federal borrowing limit and avoided a catastrophic default. ” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1600″ width=”2400″ loading=’lazy’/>
welcoming ceremony in Windsor, England, in July 2023. It was Biden’s second trip to Windsor Castle since taking office.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1600″ width=”2400″ loading=’lazy’/>
striking union members on the picket line in Belleville, Michigan, in September 2023. Biden made history by being the first sitting president to join a picket line.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1600″ width=”2400″ loading=’lazy’/>
sending an emphatic message of support to Israel, promising new aid to Netanyahu’s government as it prepared fresh action against Hamas.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1600″ width=”2400″ loading=’lazy’/>
State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress in March 2024. It was a high-stakes moment as he looked to convince voters to give him a second term in the White House.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1600″ width=”2400″ loading=’lazy’/>
The rare joint appearance highlighted the emphasis that the duo will place on health care, which they believe is a winning issue for them ahead of November’s election.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2000″ width=”3000″ loading=’lazy’/>
convicted Hunter Biden on all three federal felony gun charges he faced, concluding that he violated laws meant to prevent drug addicts from owning firearms.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1600″ width=”2400″ loading=’lazy’/>
Biden appeared to struggle with his delivery at multiple points of a CNN presidential debate with Trump in June 2024. It was the first time in history that a sitting US president faced a former president in a debate. Biden’s shaky debate performance set off alarm bells among top Democrats, leaving some to openly question whether Biden could stay atop of the Democratic ticket.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1855″ width=”2724″ loading=’lazy’/>
back-to-back slip-ups on the last day of the NATO summit in Washington, referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, right, as “President Putin” before correcting himself at one event and then referring to Harris as “Vice President Trump” in a news conference.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2138″ width=”3000″/>
Biden addresses the nation from the White House Oval Office in July 2024. A day after the attempted assassination of former President Trump, Biden called on the country to “lower the temperature in our politics.”” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2000″ width=”3000″/>
In pictures: President Joe Biden
Biden was initially defiant that he would remain in the race. But as the defections in his base of support continued, and leading Democrats in Congress continued to have difficult conversations with the president about his odds against Trump and the damaging effect he might have on down-ballot Democrats in competitive races, Biden opened himself up more to the idea of dropping out of the race.
In an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on July 5, Biden laughed off questions about his political future and said only the “Lord Almighty” could convince him to drop from the race.
Days later, Stephanopoulos candidly told a passerby that he also didn’t think Biden could serve another four years.
Biden told reporters at a NATO news conference he would drop out if polls showed he could not win. About a week later, he said he would reevaluate whether to stay in if he had “some medical condition that emerged” and doctors told him that would be an issue. The next day, the White House announced that Biden had Covid-19.
The attempt on Trump’s life on July 13 briefly stemmed the flow of congressional Democrats calling for Biden to drop out and pulled the national attention away from his faltering presidential campaign. But the reprieve didn’t last long. California Rep. Adam Schiff on July 17 became the first House Democrat to call on Biden to step down since the assassination attempt, and more followed in the ensuing days.
Biden’s evolution on his future as the party’s nominee tracked closely with efforts among his biggest allies to convince him the path to victory was narrow. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Biden weeks after his debate that polls showed he could not win.
A senior Democratic adviser told CNN the president was becoming “receptive” to conversations about him stepping aside: “He’s gone from saying, ‘Kamala can’t win,’ to ‘Do you think Kamala can win?”
Those conversation accelerated as Biden isolated at his beach home with Covid over the last few days. Saturday night, Biden asked two of his closest advisers to start drafting the letter, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Many rank-and-file staff found out about Biden’s decision when the post came out.
CNN’s Jeff Zeleny, Betsy Klein, Ethan Cohen, Abby Phillip and Phil Mattingly contributed to this report.
This story and headline have been updated with additional developments.
