Breaking News – 
By Glynn Wilson – 

President Joe Biden announced on Twitter (X) on Sunday afternoon that he would comply with the wishes of many Democrats and abandon his bid for re-election, endorsing his Vice President, Kamala Harris, to replace him at the top of the ticket.

The move may sooth some of the growing discontent in the Democratic Party, which has been in a month’s long public fight between those who wanted him to remain in the race and those who said his debate performance on CNN with Republican nominee Donald Trump showed that he was growing too old, frail and feeble to continue and serve another term.

Of course the move throws the 2024 presidential election into chaos, but the president called Harris an “extraordinary partner” and endorsed her unequivocally to replace him atop the ticket.

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president,” he wrote on social media. “And while it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus entirely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.”

Here’s the letter he wrote making the announcement.

In a subsequent post, Biden endorsed Harris: “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.”

After three weeks of often angry refusals to step aside, Biden finally yielded to a torrent of devastating polls, urgent pleas from Democratic lawmakers and clear signs that donors were no longer willing to pay for him to continue.

Biden’s decision abruptly ends one political crisis that began when the president delivered a calamitous debate performance against Trump on June 27. But for the Democratic Party, Biden’s withdrawal triggers a second crisis: who to replace him with, and specifically whether to rally around Harris or kick off a rapid effort to find someone else to be the party’s nominee.

The announcement by Biden, who is isolating with Covid, came just three days after Trump delivered an incendiary, insult-laden speech accepting his party’s nomination for a chance to return to the White House for a second term. Trump, who has been preparing for a rematch with Biden for years, will now face a different — and as yet, unknown — Democratic opponent, with only 106 days left until Election Day.

The New York Times broke the story here.

The editors called it a political first, since no sitting American president had dropped out of a race so late in the election cycle. The Democratic National Convention, where Biden was to have been formally nominated by 3,939 delegates, is scheduled to begin Aug. 19 in Chicago. That leaves less than a month for Democrats to decide who should replace Biden on the ticket and just under four months for that person to mount a campaign against Trump.

Of course the spotlight is on Harris, since she is the sitting Vice President endorsed by the president. This places her under renewed scrutiny, with some Democrats arguing that she is the only person who can effectively challenge Trump this late in the election. And they say the party will fracture if Democratic leaders are seen as passing over the first Black vice president. But others argue that the Democratic Party should avoid a coronation, especially given Harris’s political weaknesses over the last three-and-a-half years.

Age was the chief concern in creating the crisis for Biden’s re-election bid, longstanding concerns about his age and whether he remained physically and mentally capable of performing the job. Even before the debate, polls consistently showed that people thought he was too old, and majorities — even of Democrats — wanted someone younger to be president. Biden was born during World War II and was first elected to the Senate in 1972, before two-thirds of today’s Americans were even born. Biden would have been 86 at the end of a second term.

The White House and aides closest to Biden denied for years that his age was having any impact on his ability to do the job. But the debate with Trump in late June, which was watched by more than 50 million people, put his limitations clearly on display. He appeared frail, hesitant, confused and diminished, and was unable to make the case against Trump, a convicted felon who tried to overturn the last presidential election.

Reaction

Vice President Kamala Harris said she was honored to have the President’s endorsement and her intention is to earn and win this nomination. Her full statement:

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. His remarkable legacy of accomplishment is unmatched in modern American history, surpassing the legacy of many Presidents who have served two terms in office.

It is a profound honor to serve as his Vice President, and I am deeply grateful to the President, Dr. Biden, and the entire Biden family. I first came to know President Biden through his son Beau. We were friends from our days working together as Attorneys General of our home states. As we worked together, Beau would tell me stories about his Dad. The kind of father — and the kind of man — he was. And the qualities Beau revered in his father are the same qualities, the same values, I have seen every single day in Joe’s leadership as President: His honesty and integrity. His big heart and commitment to his faith and his family. And his love of our country and the American people.

With this selfless and patriotic act, President Biden is doing what he has done throughout his life of service: putting the American people and our country above everything else.

I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination. Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election. And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead. I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party — and unite our nation — to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda.

We have 107 days until Election Day. Together, we will fight. And together, we will win.

Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton posted a statement on social media on Sunday afternoon endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to take President Biden’s place as the party’s nominee for November.

“We are honored to join the President in endorsing Vice President Harris and will do whatever we can to support her,” they wrote in the statement, which was posted within 90 minutes of Mr. Biden announcing that he would leave the race and back Ms. Harris as his replacement in the race against former President Donald J. Trump.

“We’ve lived through many ups and downs,” the Clintons said, “but nothing has made us more worried for our country than the threat posed by a second Trump term.”

The statement concluded, “Now is the time to support Kamala Harris and fight with everything we’ve got to elect her. America’s future depends on it.”

Mrs. Clinton faced off against Mr. Trump in 2016 and is keenly aware of what it would be like for Ms. Harris to take him on in a general election.

The Clintons were thrust into the news cycle in what appeared to be an effort by Biden allies to save his candidacy, with reports they were telling people they wanted him to stay in. What was happening was they told donors to keep giving money to him until things were settled, according to people who’ve spoken to them.

* Maggie Haberman contributed reporting for the New York Times.

Democratic House Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts released a statement to followers within minutes.

“Today’s announcement embodies President Biden’s steadfast courage and patriotism. At every point in his remarkable career, Joe Biden has put his country first — advancing the project of democracy and meeting the needs of the American people,” she said.

“He has expanded access to affordable health care, brought jobs back to our shores, improved safety in our communities, led the fight against domestic violence, and paved our path toward a greener future. Around the globe, he is admired for his steady, experienced leadership — always honoring America’s crucial role as a facilitator of peace, democracy, and human rights.

When he came into office nearly four years ago, she said, our nation was reeling from the pandemic.

“We were losing thousands of Americans every day to COVID-19, our businesses and schools were closed, and millions were out of work. Thanks to his tenacity and vision, President Biden got shots in arms, lowered costs for working families, rebuilt our infrastructure, and saved our economy from the brink of collapse. He proved, as he always has, what’s possible when we invest in the American people.

“I am deeply grateful for President Biden and his unfailing commitment to the American people. As he closes this chapter of unparalleled service to our country, President Biden’s leadership and legacy of progress will chart the way toward a future that realizes the American ideals of liberty and justice for all.”

Representative Jim Clyburn, who helped save Biden’s 2020 campaign and remained steadfast in his support for Biden to stay in the 2024 race, issued a statement praising Biden’s “selfless service” and “unparagoned leadership.” He said he “echoed the good judgment” that Biden displayed in choosing Harris as his vice president, and that he would “follow his lead in support of her candidacy to succeed him.”

At a campaign stop in Stoughton, Wis., Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, who is up for re-election, began her remarks by acknowledging that Democrats owed Biden “such a debt of gratitude for his lifetime commitment.” Attendees jumped to their feet in a standing ovation. Earlier, Baldwin said in a statement that she would support Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s nominee.

Speaking at a campaign event for Senator Tammy Baldwin in Stoughton, Wis., Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts says: “We are here at a moment when our president of the United States has shown us what true patriotism is.” She said to raucous applause: “If Joe Biden can step aside, then the rest of us can step up.”

Choices for Vice President

Some suggestions are coming in that former U.S. Senator Doug Jones of Alabama might be considered for Vice President, but it is too soon to say who that choice might be.

Ad: The New York Times published a partial list on Monday.

Josh Shapiro: Mr. Shapiro, 51, was elected governor of Pennsylvania in 2022 after serving as the state’s attorney general from 2017 until he moved into the governor’s office. Pennsylvania is a must-win state for Democrats, and Mr. Shapiro’s stock among Democrats rose after he swamped his Republican opponent in 2022, Doug Mastriano, winning 56 percent of the vote.

As demonstrations against Israel spread across campuses this fall, Mr. Shapiro — who would be the second Jewish running mate on a major-party ticket in history if he were picked — stepped out to denounce the rise in antisemitism after the attack by Hamas in Israel on Oct 7. Mr. Shapiro was quick to endorse Ms. Harris on Sunday afternoon.

He won praise for overseeing quick repairs after a messy bridge collapse on I-95 last year. In May, a New York Times/Siena College/Philadelphia Inquirer poll in Pennsylvania found that 57 percent of voters said they approved of how Mr. Shapiro was handling his job as governor.

Mark Kelly: The Arizona senator first rose to national prominence after his wife, Representative Gabby Giffords, survived an assassination attempt in 2011. Mr. Kelly, 60, a veteran of the Navy and a former astronaut, began campaigning for stricter gun control. He won his Senate seat in 2020. He has carved out an image as a moderate in Arizona, building a coalition that relied on white women in the suburbs as well as young Latino voters who were crucial in delivering the state to Mr. Biden in 2020. That kind of coalition is likely to be essential if Democrats hope to hold on to the White House this year.

Andy Beshear: At 46, Mr. Beshear is a two-term Democratic governor from Kentucky, a solidly Republican state. When he first won in 2019, his victory was regarded as a fluke; Mr. Trump won the state by about 30 percentage points three years earlier. But last year, he easily won re-election not only by capturing cities, but also small rural counties where he had previously lost. He has emphasized the “common good,” working with Republicans on legislation, including medical marijuana, and often talks about his Christian faith. It’s a message that could be particularly appealing for Democrats now, as they try to win over moderate white voters in the suburbs. But Mr. Beshear is hardly a known national figure, and may not help Democrats win what they see as their firewall of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

JB Pritzker: Mr. Pritzker, 59, has been the governor of Illinois since 2019. That is not a swing state, but he is a billionaire, and could help finance the campaign. That’s no small matter as Mr. Trump has seen an avalanche of financial support since Mr. Biden’s poor debate appearance in June. Mr. Pritzker has caught Democratic attention over these past months with his tough attacks on Mr. Trump, including taking head-on the question of how voters will react to Mr. Trump’s conviction in his New York criminal trial. “Do they really want a president who is a felon who faces jail time?” Mr. Pritzker said in June.

Gavin Newsom: Mr. Newsom, 56, is the governor of California, and has been campaigning aggressively for Mr. Biden over the past two years. His name was frequently mentioned as a potential 2028 candidate, or as a successor to Mr. Biden, should he drop out. But reality check: It seems highly unlikely that he would be Ms. Harris’s running mate. First, he is from California, and there is a constitutional hurdle to the president and vice president being from the same state. He would provide no geographic or ideological balance to the ticket. Plus, while Mr. Newsom endorsed her on Sunday night, he and Ms. Harris have never been close.

Don’t forget: There are other names that have been mentioned in the crush of the hours since Mr. Biden announced his plans, among them: Wes Moore, the governor of Maryland; Gina Raimondo, the secretary of commerce; Pete Buttigieg, the secretary of transportation; Roy Cooper, the governor of North Carolina; and Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota.

How Harris Policies Might Differ from Biden

At the first Democratic presidential debate in 2019, Kamala Harris, then a senator from California, unleashed a scathing critique of the Trump economy.

The future vice president billed President Donald J. Trump’s tax cuts as a giveaway to the rich, argued that the booming stock market was leaving the middle class behind and warned that his reckless trade agenda was hurting farmers in the heartland.

“Frankly, this economy is not working for working people,” Ms. Harris said. “For too long the rules have been written in the favor of the people who have the most and not in favor of the people who work the most.”

As Ms. Harris prepares to potentially replace President Biden atop the Democratic ticket, she now faces the challenge of articulating her own vision for steering a U.S. economy that is still grappling with inflation while drawing sharp distinctions with Mr. Trump, who has promised more tax cuts and tariffs.

Ms. Harris has been an ardent defender for the White House’s economic agenda during the Biden administration, promoting the benefits of legislation such as the American Rescue Plan of 2021 and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. But as an attorney general and a senator, she was at times more progressive than the president, pushing for universal health care while calling for more generous tax benefits for working-class Americans and paying for them with bigger tax increases on companies.

In recent weeks, Ms. Harris has embarked on an economic “opportunity tour,” making the case that wage increases have been outpacing inflation, that manufacturing jobs are growing and that Democrats have been fighting to forgive student loan debt. Those arguments now foreshadow the case she will be making to voters as she runs against Mr. Trump.

“Sometimes we get a bum rap as Democrats,” Ms. Harris said at an event in San Francisco this month, adding, “But we have also addressed longstanding issues that are obstacles to the creation of wealth.”

Behind the Scenes

Times White House Correspondent Katie Rogers did a piece Sunday on what went on behind the scenes in Delaware.

“I need you and Mike at the house,” President Biden said late Saturday afternoon.

What Happened in the Final Moments as Biden Decided to Withdraw

Mr. Biden was on the phone from his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Del., with Steve Ricchetti, one of his closest advisers. The president was referring to Mike Donilon, his chief strategist. Soon, both men were in Rehoboth, socially distanced from the president, who was recovering from Covid.

From that afternoon and far into the night, the three worked on one of the most important and historic letters of Mr. Biden’s presidency — his decision to withdraw from his re-election campaign after top Democrats, donors, close allies and friends had pressured him relentlessly to get out.

He finalized the decision only on Sunday morning and then made separate calls to three people to let them know: Vice President Kamala Harris; Jeffrey D. Zients, the White House chief of staff; and Jen O’Malley Dillon, the campaign chairwoman. He would not tell most of his staff until a minute before making his announcement to the world on social media on Sunday.

Mr. Biden made his decision, a senior administration official familiar with his thinking said, in part because he had tried for weeks to flip the attention from his listless and at times incoherent debate performance last month back to his Republican opponent, former President Donald J. Trump.

But in the end, the official said, Mr. Biden “couldn’t get there.”

The president made what may be the hardest political decision of his career with perhaps the smallest of circles. With him in Rehoboth Beach over the weekend were Mr. Ricchetti and two other aides: Annie Tomasini, his deputy chief of staff, and Anthony Bernal, the chief of staff to the first lady, Jill Biden. Mr. Donilon was not at Rehoboth Beach when the call came and had to rush to the shore.

Still sick and raspy, the president opted to announce his decision by letter rather than on camera, and worked on drafting it with Mr. Donilon, the author of many of the president’s public words, while Mr. Ricchetti focused on next steps, like when to inform the staff, how to do it and who else would need to be notified.

At 1:45 p.m. on Sunday — a minute before Mr. Biden posted his letter of withdrawal — the president told his most senior White House and campaign advisers on a video call, including Anita Dunn, who manages communications strategy in the West Wing. He read the letter to them and thanked his staff for their service.

“Come to me with the work, and let’s get it done,” the president told them. The posting went online at 1:46 p.m.

Mr. Zients then held a call with other White House officials to confirm that it was true and thank them for all their hard work, followed by a similar call he held with the cabinet, which was not aware until the posting went online. Some Biden advisers were in tears, many in shock but many also relieved.

Mr. Biden spent part of the rest of the day making phone calls to congressional leaders and other allies. Announcing the end of his candidacy online gave him the ability to do it “his way,” the official said, avoiding the intrigue and leaks that have plagued his campaign in recent weeks.

(more, developing…)