In one of the more unprecedented moves in recent U.S. political history, President Joe Biden withdrew his presidential candidacy this past Sunday (July 21). Naturally, he endorsed his Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place, paving the way for the United States to elect a Black woman as president for the first time. Biden released a statement on his withdrawal yesterday afternoon.
“My fellow Democrats, 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,” Biden wrote. “My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. 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. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
Biden’s decision arrives after what many considered to be a poor showing during his June 27 debate against former president Donald Trump. At the debate, Biden demonstrated a worsening stutter he’s had since he was a child and combined with flubs like introducing Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Russia’s “President Putin” at a NATO sumit, people have questioned whether, at age 81, he was still suitable for office. Democrats behind the scenes reportedly asked him to step aside. Now, he has, and it’s opened the door for history to be made.
For her part, Harris released her own statement commending Biden and accepting the chance to earn the nomination yesterday.
“On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country,” she wrote in an X post. “I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination”
While Harris’ candidacy is a newly blossoming one, that hasn’t made it difficult for her to earn support. According to ABC News, she’s raised nearly $50 million for her campaign. It’s been less than a full day since Biden’s announcement. Speaking to MSNBC, former head of the Congressional Black Caucus, Rep. Joyce Beatty, estimated that between 20 and 30,000 Black women would attempt to join a mass call in support of Harris yesterday. “For us, it’s personal and we stand with Vice President Harris,” she explained.
See Harris’ statement below.
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