Joe Biden Drops Out of 2024 Election, Endorses Kamala Harris for President, Trumps Responds
In a stunning turn of events, President Joe Biden has announced that he will not seek re-election in the 2024 presidential race. Citing the need for new leadership, Biden endorsed his Vice President, Kamala Harris, as the Democratic Party’s nominee for president. This decision has set the stage for an open Democratic convention and a highly anticipated electoral showdown.
Biden’s decision comes after weeks of mounting pressure from within his party, with concerns about his age and mental agility becoming increasingly prominent. The 81-year-old president faced significant scrutiny following a series of public appearances where he appeared to struggle with his train of thought. This culminated in a difficult performance during the first presidential debate on June 27, which led to calls from prominent Democrats and public figures, including actor George Clooney, for Biden to step aside.
With Biden’s endorsement, Kamala Harris is now poised to take center stage as the Democratic contender. Harris, who has served as Vice President since 2021, expressed gratitude for Biden’s support and pledged to continue their administration’s work while bringing her vision to the campaign.
The endorsement has set the stage for a fiercely contested race against the presumptive Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump. Trump wasted no time in reacting to the news, stating, “I think Kamala Harris will be even easier to beat than Biden.”
Recent polls have painted a mixed picture of Harris’s prospects against Trump. A YouGov poll conducted between July 13 and 16 among 1,582 U.S. adults found that 39 percent of respondents would vote for Harris, compared to 44 percent for Trump. This put Harris slightly behind Biden, who the same poll indicated would lose to Trump by 41 percent to 43 percent.
When respondents were asked if Harris would be more likely to win against Trump than Biden, opinions were divided: 15 percent believed she would be more likely to win, 26 percent thought her chances were about the same, 39 percent considered her less likely to win, and 20 percent were unsure.
An Ipsos poll of 992 registered voters conducted on July 16 for Reuters showed Trump leading Biden with 43 percent to 41 percent. However, when Harris was substituted as the candidate, she tied with Trump at 44 percent each.
Another survey by Bendixen & Amandi International for Politico, conducted between July 2 and 4 with 1,000 registered voters, found Harris leading Trump by a narrow margin of 42 percent to 41 percent, while Biden trailed Trump by 42 percent to 43 percent.
A CNN poll conducted by SSRS between June 28 and 30 with 1,045 registered voters indicated Trump leading Biden nationally with 49 percent to 43 percent. Trump also led Harris but by a smaller margin, with 47 percent to Harris’s 45 percent.
The Democratic convention, now expected to be highly contested, will likely focus on unifying the party behind Harris and addressing the challenges that lie ahead. As the campaign progresses, both Harris and Trump will work to solidify their bases and sway undecided voters in what promises to be a closely watched and highly consequential election.
