Joe Biden Drops Out Of 2024 Presidential Race
A few days after dropping out Joe Biden releases a speech explaining why he dropped out.
Short Summary
On July 21, 2024, President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race via a statement on X (formerly Twitter), citing "the best interest of my party and the country" following widespread concerns about his fitness for office after a poor debate performance against Donald Trump on June 27, which catalyzed an unprecedented internal revolt within the Democratic Party including approximately 37 members of Congress publicly calling for Biden's exit; Biden immediately endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor, who received rapid support from numerous Democratic officials though faced significant procedural and legal hurdles with less than four months until Election Day and weeks before the Democratic National Convention scheduled for August 19-22 in Chicago; the Trump campaign quickly pivoted to target Harris, while historical context indicates Biden's late-cycle withdrawal represented a significant anomaly in American presidential politics, as no sitting president had ever abandoned a re-election campaign after formally securing their party's nomination through primaries, ultimately creating a dramatic turning point in a contentious election.
Long Summary
Biden's Historic Exit from 2024 Presidential Race
On July 21, 2024, President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race, creating an unprecedented situation in modern American electoral politics. Biden made this announcement via a letter posted to his account on X (formerly Twitter), stating: "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."
The 81-year-old Biden confirmed he would serve until the end of his term on January 20, 2025, and promised to address the nation later in the week with more details about his decision. The announcement came while Biden was isolating at his Delaware beach house after testing positive for COVID-19 on July 17, 2024.
This withdrawal occurred less than four months before Election Day (November 5, 2024) and just weeks before the Democratic National Convention scheduled for August 19-22 in Chicago, creating significant logistical and strategic challenges for the Democratic Party.
The June Debate that Changed the Race
The catalyst for Biden's withdrawal was widely identified as his June 27, 2024 debate performance against former President Donald Trump. During the CNN-hosted event in Atlanta, Biden exhibited several concerning moments that raised doubts about his fitness for office:
- He spoke with a noticeably hoarse voice that his campaign attributed to a cold
- He had difficulty completing thoughts and delivering coherent explanations
- He appeared disoriented at times and lost his train of thought
- He made confusing statements, including one where he claimed to have "beat Medicare"
- He failed to effectively counter Trump on key policy issues
The debate's impact was immediately reflected in polling data. According to reports, Trump moved from essentially tied with Biden before the debate to leading afterward. A New York Times/Siena College poll released around the time of the debate showed that 70% of respondents felt Biden was too old to be commander-in-chief.
Despite attempts by the White House and campaign to characterize the performance as "a bad night" and Biden's own insistence that he would remain in the race, the debate became a turning point that ultimately led to his withdrawal.
Democratic Party Response and Internal Pressure
Following the debate, an unprecedented internal revolt developed within the Democratic Party:
Democrats who publicly called for Biden to step aside grew to approximately 37 members of Congress (plus independent Senator Joe Manchin) by the time he announced his withdrawal. The New York Times editorial board published a call for Biden to withdraw the day after the debate, characterizing him as "the shadow of a great public servant."
Major Democratic donors also began withdrawing support. Actor George Clooney, who had hosted a $30 million fundraiser for Biden in June, wrote in an opinion piece that "the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe 'big F-ing deal' Biden of 2010."
Behind the scenes, senior Democratic leadership reportedly engaged in intensive efforts to convince Biden to reconsider his candidacy. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer reportedly traveled to Delaware to speak directly with Biden, while former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also communicated concerns. According to some reports, former President Barack Obama had expressed doubts about Biden's electoral viability to allies.
The decision appeared to catch many campaign staffers by surprise. According to reports, Biden informed his senior team just one minute before the public announcement, with some staff learning about his withdrawal through social media rather than internal communications.
Harris Endorsement
After announcing his withdrawal, Biden posted another message on X endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as his preferred successor.
Historical Context and Precedent
Biden's withdrawal represents a significant anomaly in American presidential politics. No sitting president has ever abandoned a re-election campaign after formally securing their party's nomination through primaries.
The closest parallel is Lyndon B. Johnson's decision not to seek reelection, announced in March 1968 amid the Vietnam War and after performing poorly in the New Hampshire primary. However, Johnson's announcement came much earlier in the election cycle—eight months before the election—compared to Biden's late July decision less than four months before Election Day.
Other presidents who chose not to seek another term include Harry S. Truman, Calvin Coolidge, Rutherford B. Hayes, James Buchanan, and James K. Polk, but all made their decisions under different circumstances and timeframes.
The resulting nomination process bears some resemblance to the 1968 Democratic convention (also held in Chicago), where Vice President Hubert Humphrey secured the nomination without competing in primaries following Robert Kennedy's assassination.
Legal and Procedural Challenges
Biden's withdrawal created numerous procedural and legal hurdles for the Democratic Party:
Unlike Republicans, Democratic delegates (approximately 4,000) are not bound to any candidate, meaning they could technically vote for someone other than Harris despite Biden's endorsement. The Democratic National Committee announced it would conduct "a transparent and orderly process" for selecting a new nominee.
The party had previously announced plans to hold a virtual roll call to formally nominate Biden before the in-person convention proceedings began on August 19. Biden had already won the vast majority of delegates and all but one nominating contest, which would have made his nomination a formality.
Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, suggested there could be "legal hurdles in some of these states" regarding ballot access for a new Democratic nominee, potentially creating additional challenges.
Campaign finance considerations also played a role in the succession process. Harris had a unique advantage in being able to directly access the Biden campaign's existing funds under federal election rules. According to reports, the campaign quickly filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to rename itself "Harris for President."
Articles Analyzed: AP News, NY Post, and NBC News
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Event Date: July 21, 2024