US President Joe Biden has dropped out of the November US presidential election with a statement posted on X on Sunday evening.
Mr Biden ended his reelection campaign after fellow Democrats lost faith in his mental acuity and ability to beat Donald Trump, leaving the presidential race in uncharted territory.
Mr Biden (81) said that “it has been the greatest honour of my life to serve” the American people.
“And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interests of my party and the country to step down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” his statement read.
“I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision.”
He endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to become the Democratic nominee for November’s contest.
Best reads
- What happens next? The process to replace a nominee
- The candidates: who could replace Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee to face Donald Trump
- Ahead of the announcement, Maureen Dowd wrote on the growing clamour for Mr Biden to step aside.
World leaders weigh in
Keir Starmer, UK:
“I respect President Biden’s decision and I look forward to us working together during the remainder of his presidency.
“I know that, as he has done throughout his remarkable career, President Biden will have made his decision based on what he believes is in the best interests of the American people.”
Pedro Sanchez, Spain:
“All my admiration and recognition for the brave and dignified decision of the president [Joe Biden]. Thanks to its determination and leadership, the US overcame the economic crisis after the pandemic and the serious assault on the Capitol and has been exemplary in its support for Ukraine in the face of Putin’s Russian aggression. A great gesture from a great president who has always fought for democracy and freedom.”
Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Kremlin:
“The elections are still four months away, and that is a long period of time in which a lot can change. We need to be patient and carefully monitor what happens. The priority for us is the special military operation.”
Donald Tusk, Poland:
“Mr President, many times you have made difficult decisions that have made Poland, America, and the world safer, and democracy and freedom stronger. I know that you were guided by the same principles when announcing your latest decision. Perhaps the most difficult one in your life.”
Clintons with Kamala
By contrast to the Barack and Michelle Obama statement, former president Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton have endorsed Kamala Harris.
“President Biden has capped his extraordinary career of service with a presidency that has lifted America out of an unprecedented pandemic, created millions of new jobs, rebuilt a battered economy, strengthened our democracy, and restored our standing in the world.
“Be any measure, he has advanced our founders’ charge to build a more perfect union and his own stated goal of restoring the soul of our nation.
“We join millions of Americans in thanking President Biden for all he has accomplished, standing up for America time and again, with his North Star always being what’s best for the country.
“We are honored to join the President in endorsing Vice President Harris and will do whatever we can to support her.
“We’ve lived through many ups and downs, but nothing has made us more worried for our country than the threat posed by a second Trump term. He has promised to be a dictator on day one, and the recent ruling by his servile Supreme Court will only embolden him to further shred the constitution.
“Now is the time to support Kamala Harris and fight with everything we’ve got to elect her. America’s future depends on it.”
Obama praises ‘patriot of the highest order’
Former US president Barack Obama, who occupied the Oval Office when Joe Biden was vice president, has issued his own tribute. Two things to note: he praises the decision, and he does not endorse Kamala Harris - yet, at least.
Joe Biden has been one of America’s most consequential presidents, as well as a dear friend and partner to me. Today, we’ve also been reminded — again — that he’s a patriot of the highest order.
Sixteen years ago, when I began my search for a vice president, I knew about Joe’s remarkable career in public service. But what I came to admire even more was his character — his deep empathy and hard-earned resilience; his fundamental decency and belief that everyone counts.
Since taking office, President Biden has displayed that character again and again. He helped end the pandemic, created millions of jobs, lowered the cost of prescription drugs, passed the first major piece of gun safety legislation in 30 years, made the biggest investment to address climate change in history, and fought to ensure the rights of working people to organise for fair wages and benefits. Internationally, he restored America’s standing in the world, revitalised Nato, and mobilised the world to stand up against Russian aggression in Ukraine.
More than that, President Biden pointed us away from the four years of chaos, falsehood, and division that had characterized Donald Trump’s administration. Through his policies and his example, Joe has reminded us of who we are at our best — a country committed to old-fashioned values like trust and honesty, kindness and hard work; a country that believes in democracy, rule of law, and accountability; a country that insists that everyone, no matter who they are, has a voice and deserves a chance at a better life.
This outstanding track record gave President Biden every right to run for re-election and finish the job he started. Joe understands better than anyone the stakes in this election — how everything he has fought for throughout his life, and everything that the Democratic Party stands for, will be at risk if we allow Donald Trump back in the White House and give Republicans control of Congress.
I also know Joe has never backed down from a fight. For him to look at the political landscape and decide that he should pass the torch to a new nominee is surely one of the toughest in his life. But I know he wouldn’t make this decision unless he believed it was right for America. It’s a testament to Joe Biden’s love of country — and a historic example of a genuine public servant once again putting the interests of the American people ahead of his own that future generations of leaders will do well to follow.
We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges. I believe that Joe Biden’s vision of a generous, prosperous, and united America that provides opportunity for everyone will be on full display at the Democratic Convention in August. And I expect that every single one of us are prepared to carry that message of hope and progress forward into November and beyond.
For now, Michelle and I just want to express our love and gratitude to Joe and Jill for leading us so ably and courageously during these perilous times — and for their commitment to the ideals of freedom and equality that this country was founded on.
Timeline to withdrawal
Criticism of Mr Biden’s age and ability, particularly from political rivals, have dogged him for most of his term. But things began to reach a head less than a month ago during a disastrous debate with Donald Trump. Here’s an abridged timeline of how we got here, via The Guardian:
June 27th
Mr Biden and Donald Trump face off in the earliest debate ever staged between two main candidates in a presidential election, largely in response to demands by a White House team eager to allay doubts over the president’s advanced age (81) and suspicions that his cognitive powers are fading. Instead, Mr Biden puts in a perplexing performance that intensifies the concerns. Over 90 minutes, he appears at times confused, mangles his sentences, repeatedly loses his train of thought and fails to combat a rush of lies from a bullishly confident Mr Trump, who cannot conceal his glee over his rival’s discomfiture. Democratic operatives exchange frantic messages calling for Mr Biden to abandon his campaign even while the debate unfolds.
June 28th
The president, realising his campaign is suddenly in deep trouble, tries to launch a counteroffensive, telling a rally of supporters in North Carolina that he is staying in the race. “I know I’m not a young man,” he shouts – reading his remarks from an teleprompter. “I don’t debate as well as I used to, but I know what I do know … When you get knocked down, you get back up!”
Few are convinced. Within hours, the New York Times, the most influential newspaper in the US, publishes a searing editorial telling Biden to step aside, calling his candidacy a “reckless gamble” that risks a second Trump presidency.
July 5th
Mr Biden gives his first mainstream interview since the debate, an eagerly awaited 22-minute affair with George Stephanopoulos of ABC in a school library in Wisconsin. It is an improvement on the disastrous debate showing but hardly reassuring. The president declares that only the “Lord almighty” could persuade him to step aside from the race. Many Democrats also express deep misgiving about his response to being asked how he would feel if he ran against Trump in November only to lose. “I’ll feel as long as I gave it my all and I did as good a job as I know I can do – that’s what this is about,” he replies. Some condemn the statement as out of touch, given the Democratic fears of a second Trump presidency.
July 7th
Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader in the House of Representatives, holds crisis talks with senior party House members, at least four of whom say the president should step aside as candidate.
July 8th
Mr Biden strikes back in anger. As members of Congress return to Washington DC after a recess, the president sends a letter to the entire Democratic congressional contingent telling them he is unequivocally committed to staying in the race and reaffirming his belief that he can beat Trump. He follows up with an unscheduled live telephone interview to MSNBC’s Morning Joe programme in which he throws down the gauntlet to his critics by telling them to “challenge me at the [Democratic] convention”, due to take place in Chicago in August. Jeffries meets with a full complement of House Democrats on Capitol Hill, some of whom tearfully voice fears about the effect Mr Biden’s plunging popularity in the polls might have on their own election prospects. Yet many Democrats appear resigned to Mr Biden staying on the ticket.
July 11th
With the pressure on and mounting numbers of Democrats calling for his withdrawal, Biden holds a rare news conference marking the close of Nato’s 75th anniversary conference in Washington DC. Facing massed ranks of international journalists and speaking for an hour without the aid of a teleprompter, the president gives an admirable – yet still flawed – performance. He expounds on intricate details of foreign and economic policy. At the same time, he commits embarrassing gaffes, referring to his vice-president, Kamala Harris, as “Vice President Trump” without correcting himself, having earlier mistakenly introduced the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, as “President Putin”. The performance seems enough to buy him time.
July 13th
Donald Trump survives an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler county, Pennsylvania, a stunning development that puts the discussions on Mr Biden’s candidacy on hold just as the president has been holding talks on his future with leading party figures, including Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Senate majority leader.
July 17th
While campaigning in Nevada, the president tests positive for Covid and immediately returns to his home in Delaware to isolate. The announcement seems to mark an end to the brief respite in the efforts to persuade him to end his candidacy.
On the same day, senior Democrats including Adam Schiff, the Democratic candidate for US Senate in California, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer and House majority leader Hakeem Jeffries privately confront Mr Biden about continuing his re-election bid.
July 18th
With Mr Trump preparing to accept the Republican nomination in at the GOP convention in Milwaukee, reports emerge that Mr Biden is at least listening to arguments that he should withdraw and asking if Ms Harris would fare better. It is also reported that Barack Obama has told associates that he believes the president’s path to winning the election has greatly diminished and that he should reconsider the viability of his campaign.
July 21st
Mr Biden announces that he will not seek re-election, and endorsed his vice-president, Kamal Harris, aiming to avoid further party chaos.
Biden in Ireland
As Irish politicians have been mentioning, Joe Biden is fiercely proud of his Irish ancestry, once memorably remarking that his distant cousin, Ireland rugby stalwart Rob Kearney, “beat the hell out of the Black and Tans” (meaning the All Blacks).
His April 2023 visit was a long one, and involved more personal activities than would be usual for a travelling head of state. Here are some images captured at the time.
Taoiseach’s tribute
Taoiseach Simon Harris has praised Joe Biden’s “friendship” to Ireland.
In a statement, Mr Harris said: “On behalf of the people and government of Ireland, I, as Taoiseach, would like to thank you Mr President for your global leadership and your friendship as you make your announcement that you will not stand in the 2024 US presidential election.”
He said Mr Biden had expressed a “fierce pride” in his Irish ancestry and had acted as a voice for “reason, effective multilateralism and shared solutions”.
Mr Harris added: “Joe Biden, in all the offices he has held, has always been an unwavering voice and passionate worker for peace on the island of Ireland and our country owes him a great debt for this.
“On a personal level, President Biden is a proud American with an Irish soul. When he arrived into Belfast, Louth and Mayo last year he himself said it was like coming home.
“The outpouring of love and support from the public, even in the pouring Irish rain, from Carlingford to Ballina was testament to how highly the President is held in his ancestral home.”
Netanyahu visit
Joe Biden remains President of the United States for the duration of his term, which runs through the fixed November election date to January.
There are some major items still in his diary, not least the visit of Israeli president Binyamin Netanyahu on Tuesday. While the US has been a staunch supporter of Israel both diplomatically and militarily during the course of the invasion of Gaza and before, hints of rancour between the two premiers have been evident in recent months.
‘It’s fine, it’s Ireland!’
Miriam Lord tracked Joe Biden to rainy Co Louth on his day of heritage discovery last year. Her account of the experience is here.
Martin pays tribute
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin, who was among those who welcomed Joe Biden on his visit to Dublin, Belfast and the counties of his ancestors, Louth and Mayo, in 2023, has paid tribute to the president. He described Mr Biden as an “abiding friend of Ireland”.
Trump’s response
Former US president and would-be 2024 rival Donald Trump has weighed in with a critical account of Mr Biden, his health and his term in office.
Last-minute change
An interesting dispatch from the news agency Reuters, whose sources say withdrawal wasn’t necessarily the plan all along, or even as recently as yesterday. It’s still Sunday afternoon in the US east coast, where they’re five hours behind, so the decision would appear to be recent.
President Joe Biden as of Saturday night had planned to stay in the 2024 presidential race, but told senior staff on Sunday afternoon that he was withdrawing, a source familiar with the matter said.
“Last night the message was proceed with everything, full speed ahead,” the source told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“At around 1.45 p.m. today: the president told his senior team that he had changed his mind.”
The decision caught many White House staff off guard, with several expressing shock that the president had made the announcement while recuperating from a bout of Covid-19 at his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
Nursing a cough, the 81-year-old Biden had spent the weekend stewing over Democratic pressure to force him to leave the race.
He had been particularly irked at former House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whom Biden advisers believed was orchestrating a pressure campaign to get him to stand down.
Hours before the shock announcement, the Biden campaign denied reports that he was planning to drop out.
“It is false. And I think that it is false to continue to try to gin up this narrative,” deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks told MSNBC’s The Weekend on Sunday morning.
What happens next? We’re quite far down the road already in US election terms, with Democratic delegates committed to Joe Biden. He can’t pass them directly to Ms Harris, but he can release them of their obligation to him and endorse her, as he has done.
After that, there are further steps in the idiosyncratic American democratic process, including a convention where the decision will be made. More on how it will work here.
Biden statement
Here’s the Biden withdrawal statement in full:
“My Fellow Americans, over the past three-and-a-half years, we have made great progress as a nation.
“Today, America has the strongest economy in the world. We’ve made historic investments in rebuilding our nation, in lowering prescription drug costs for seniors, and in expanding affordable health care to a record number of Americans.
“We’ve provided critically needed care to a million veterans exposed to toxic substances. Passed the first gun safety law in 30 years. Appointed the first African American woman to the Supreme Court. And passed the most significant climate legislation in the history of the world.
“America has never been better positioned to lead than we are today.
“I know none of this could have been done without you, the American people. Together, we overcame a once in a century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We’ve protected and preserved our democracy. And we’ve revitalised and strengthened our alliances around the world.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. 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 to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.
“I will speak to the nation later this week in more detail about my decision.
“For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me re-elected.
“I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me.
“I believe today what I always have: that there is nothing America can’t do – when we do it together. We just have to remember we are the United States of America.”
Other runners and riders mentioned in the media in recent months include California governor Gavin Newsom, Illinois governor JB Pritzker and Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, in addition to Harris
Martin Belam ran through their biographies in a recent piece.
Mr Newsom has paid tribute already:
...as has Gretchen Whitmer:
...and JB Pritzker:
Biden endorses Harris
The major question dogging US Democrats on both sides of the debate about whether Mr Biden should continue in the race has been the question of who would replace him. Immediately after posting his statement to X, the president endorsed his vice president and 2020 running mate Kamala Harris.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
A total of 36 congressional Democrats have publicly called on Democratic President Joe Biden to end his re-election bid after the 81-year-old incumbent’s halting debate performance against Republican rival Donald Trump.
They represent more than one in eight Democrats in Congress, where Biden’s party controls 213 seats in the House of Representatives and 51 in the Senate.
