President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he is dropping his reelection bid against Donald Trump, in a social media post that sent political shockwaves around the country and threw an element of turmoil into the election just months before voters go to the polls.
Biden's decision came on the heels of a poor debate performance that prompted many rank-and-file Democratic lawmakers to urge him to withdraw from the race. The president said he will address the nation later this week “in more detail about my decision.”
Recommended Videos
Biden threw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democrats' new candidate, and she vowed to “earn and win” the nomination.
Republican leaders attacked Harris and said she shares responsibility for the policies of the Biden administration. Former President Donald Trump said Biden “was not fit to run for president,” and he also called for the second debate to be moved from ABC to the Fox News Channel, which is seen as friendlier to him.
Follow the AP’s Election-2024 coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024.
Here's the Latest:
Democrats hail Biden’s decision to not seek reelection as selfless. Republicans urge him to resign
Democratic lawmakers are hailing President Joe Biden’s historic decision not to seek reelection as putting his country and his party before himself.
Republicans are calling on him to leave office as well, saying that if he is unable to run, then he’s unable to serve as president.
Read more about Democrats’ and Republicans’ reactions.
Homeland Security secretary names independent panel to review Trump assassination attempt
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has appointed a bipartisan, independent panel to review this month’s assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, officials said Sunday.
The panel members will have “extensive law enforcement and security experience to conduct a 45-day independent review of the planning for and actions taken by the U.S. Secret Service and state and local authorities before, during, and after the rally, and the U.S. Secret Service governing policies and procedures,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.
The first people named to the panel are former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano; Frances Townsend, former Homeland Security adviser to President George W. Bush; Mark Filip, a former federal judge and deputy attorney general to President George W. Bush; and David Mitchell, former Secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Homeland Security for the state of Delaware.
Additional experts could be asked to join the group in the coming days.
Read more about the naming of the panel.
Small-dollar donations total $46.7 million for Harris
ActBlue, the Democratic fundraising platform, announced that it had collected $46.7 million as of 9 p.m. ET from small-dollar donations for Vice President Harris’ campaign.
The Biden campaign and affiliated groups previously had about $96 million in cash on hand. The Republican National Convention, by contrast, reported a campaign fund of $102 million in June.
Trump’s campaign quickly pivots to Harris after Biden withdraws
Donald Trump’s campaign has spent the last year and a half viciously attacking Joe Biden, ridiculing his policies, mocking his fumbles and relishing a rematch they felt they were winning.
But it has also spent weeks preparing for the possibility that he might exit the race, readying a bevy of attacks against Vice President Kamala Harris that it unleashed as soon as Biden made his stunning announcement Sunday that he would step aside.
Biden soon after endorsed Harris, who was quickly winning support from Democrats to be the party’s nominee.
The shakeup less than four months before Election Day lays out new challenges for Trump’s team, which had until recently been focused on contrasting the former president’s vigor and mental acuity with Biden’s.
Read more about the Trump campaign's pivot toward Harris.
Some states' convention delegates begin shifting support to Harris
The Democratic delegations of multiple states have decided to back Vice President Kamala Harris for the party nomination at next month’s national convention.
“Tonight, all 168 delegates of the North Carolina Democratic Party made history,” North Carolina party chair Anderson Clayton said in a post on the social platform X.
In South Carolina, party chair Christale Spain said in an email statement Sunday night that that state’s delegation met virtually. The vice president “has been fully vetted, and she has earned our unwavering support,” Spain said.
Harris received her first delegates earlier in the day from Tennessee, when the state party posted on X that its delegation voted during a meeting to back her.
Another state where the switch was made was New Hampshire, where the 25 pledged delegates voted unanimously Sunday night to endorse Harris.
Black state attorneys general back Harris
The nation’s six Black state attorneys general threw their support behind Vice President Harris. In a statement on X, they laid out her qualifications and said she “has staunchly defended our right to choose and preserved our most sacred right to vote. There is no one more qualified to lead and continue to uphold the values of our great nation.”
The statement listed Letitia James, New York; Kwame Raoul, Illinois; Anthony Brown, Maryland; Andrea Campbell, Massachusetts; Keith Ellison, Minnesota; and Aaron Ford, Nevada.
Democrats promise ‘orderly process’ to replace Biden. Harris is favored, but questions remain
Shortly after President Joe Biden announced that he would drop his reelection campaign, Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison had a message: There would be no automatic coronation for his replacement.
“In the coming days, the party will undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward,” Harrison said in a statement. “This process will be governed by established rules and procedures of the party. Our delegates are prepared to take seriously their responsibility in swiftly delivering a candidate to the American people.“
The comment reflected the reality that while Vice President Kamala Harris is emerging as the prohibitive favorite to become the nominee — backed already by Biden and many Democrats — it’s not so simple. And for now, the party isn’t offering many details on what happens next.
Read more about the process of replacing Biden on the Democratic ticket.
Outside the White House: ‘We love you Joe!’
Dozens of people came to the street outside the presidential residence as news of Biden’s withdrawal from the campaign set in.
There were signs with messages like “We love you Joe!” and chants of “Thank you Joe!” as adults and some children took photos or just gazed at the complex that serves as both the president's home and the seat of executive power.
Biden was not at the White House this weekend. Instead he was recuperating from COVID-19 at his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
Another sign read: “You did it, Joe! Now let’s make some history,” a reference to Harris’ exclamation of “We did it, Joe!” during a phone call with Biden after their ticket was determined to have won the 2020 election.
Biden’s decision to drop out crystalized Sunday. His staff knew one minute before the public did
At 1:45 p.m., President Joe Biden’s senior staff was notified that he was stepping away from the 2024 race. At 1:46 p.m., that message was made public.
It was never Biden’s intention to leave the race: Up until he decided to step aside Sunday, he was all in.
His campaign was planning fundraisers and events and setting up travel over the next few weeks. But even as Biden was publicly dug in and insisting he was staying in the race, he was quietly reflecting on the disaster of the past few weeks, on the past three years of his presidency and on the scope of his half-century career in politics.
In the end, it was the president’s decision alone, and he made it quietly, from his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, sick with COVID-19, the first lady with him as he talked it through with a small circle of people who have been with him for decades.
Read more about his decision.
Sen. Manchin considers reregistering as a Democrat to seek the presidential nomination
Though some potential challengers to Harris for the Democratic bid have already made it clear they would not run, there is some early indication that she might not be alone in seeking the nomination.
West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who left the party earlier this year to become an independent, is considering reregistering as a Democrat to vie for the nomination against the vice president, according to Jonathan Kott, a longtime adviser to Manchin.
Manchin, who repeatedly irked Democrats with his independent streak but was also a lynchpin for the Biden administration’s biggest legislative accomplishments, was the latest senator to call on Biden to drop his candidacy before the president made his announcement Sunday.
In Harris' hometown, a voter looks forward to having her as a candidate but says she must move quickly
Christian Garcia of Oakland, California, said he’s looking forward to having Harris become more widely known to voters nationwide. But Garcia also said Harris, who was born in Oakland, must move fast if she is to get the nomination and beat Trump.
“I mean, you’re talking about a really quick turnaround,” Garcia said. “She’s got a lot of work to do, and the party’s got a lot of work to do to get behind her.”
In his view, one of Harris’ main challenges is a problem that hurt Hillary Clinton: an ability to be relatable to average voters. Garcia also worries that the Trump campaign will stop at nothing to go after Harris.
“We know Trump and his allies will do anything they can to lie and make up stories and bring out old skeletons,” he said.
Garcia, 36, commended Biden for stepping aside, calling him a “statesman.”
In swing state Pennsylvania, a Trump backer says Biden's exit long overdue
Kristine Stoll is a Trump backer from Dunmore, which is next door to Scranton, where Biden was born. She said Biden isn’t mentally stable enough to run the country.
“It’s about time, he should have dropped out a long time ago,” said Stoll, 56.
She does not fear Harris or really anyone else who could top the Democratic ticket when it comes to winning the key battleground state.
“Trump’s going to take Pennsylvania this time, definitely going to take Pennsylvania,” Stoll said. “There’s no doubt about it, doesn’t matter who runs.”
Democrats begin to rally around Harris after Biden exits, though campaign dynamics remain in flux
Democrats quickly rallied around Vice President Kamala Harris as their likely presidential nominee Sunday after President Joe Biden ’s ground-shaking decision to bow out of the 2024 race.
Among others, endorsements came from Biden; Bill and Hillary Clinton; prominent U.S. senators; a wide swath of House representatives and members of the influential Congressional Black Caucus; and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who has been the subject of speculation as a potential running mate.
But the fast-moving political situation remains volatile just months before the November election.
Read more here about Democrats rallying around Harris.
Zelenskyy: ‘We will always be thankful for President Biden’s leadership’
“We respect today’s tough but strong decision,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on the social platform X.
“We will always be thankful for President Biden’s leadership. He supported our country during the most dramatic moment in history, assisted us in preventing Putin from occupying our country, and has continued to support us throughout this terrible war.”
Zelenskyy spoke with former President Trump by phone Friday. Both men described it as a good call on X.
Democrats are poised to attack Trump’s age
A political weakness that hounded Biden — age — could become an avenue for attack against Trump.
“This will probably boil down to Donald Trump, who is the oldest nominee in history, against Kamala Harris,” said Rep. Maxwell Frost, a 27-year-old Democrat from Florida who has worked to reach young voters for Biden’s campaign.
Frost, who endorsed Harris, pointed to the vice president’s work on gun violence protection as an issue that could engage young voters and said she “will be able to win back a lot of the youth vote.”
“She is someone who really values young voices in general,” he said.
Harris could become first woman, second Black person to be president
She’s already broken barriers, and now Kamala Harris could shatter several more after President Joe Biden abruptly ended his reelection bid and endorsed her.
Harris is the first woman, Black person or person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president. If she becomes the Democratic nominee and defeats Republican candidate Donald Trump in November, she would be the first woman to serve as president.
Read a profile of Harris here.
Trump says Biden was ‘not fit to run’
Former president Donald Trump posted on his social network Truth Social that “Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for president” and is not fit to serve.
“All those around him, including his Doctor and the Media, knew that he wasn’t capable of being President, and he wasn’t,” he said.
Trump and members of the RNC spent much of their week at the Republican National Convention calling for a ratcheting down of the political temperature and touting the importance of American unity in light of last week's assassination attempt.
The former president is also calling for the second debate to be switched to the Fox News Channel, which is seen as friendlier to him, now that Biden has dropped out.
He said in a Truth Social post that whoever becomes the Democratic nominee should face him on that network “rather than the very biased ABC.” Trump and Biden had previously agreed to meet in a second debate Sept. 10 hosted by ABC.
Harris hits the phones
As Vice President Harris looks to lock up the nomination, she is hitting the phones and making her case to Democrats in Congress.
She spoke with Democratic lawmakers Sunday including Rep. Annie Kuster, who chairs a moderate group called the New Democrat Coalition and endorsed Harris in the afternoon.
Harris also quickly won endorsements from leadership in several influential caucuses.
While some Democrats remained silent on who they want for a nominee, many others said the party should immediately assemble behind Harris. They want to quickly move past the painful, public deliberations of the weeks since the July 27 debate.
Harris inherits Biden’s campaign infrastructure
President Biden’s campaign formally changed its name to Harris for President, reflecting that she is inheriting his political operation — a sign of the prohibitive leg up she has for the Democratic nomination.
Democratic groups, including the Democratic National Committee, also filed paperwork changing the names of their joint fundraising committees to reflect Harris’ candidacy.
Meanwhile Biden urged his vast list of supporters to contribute to what is now the Harris campaign, saying in an email sent Sunday afternoon that picking her as his running mate is 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,” Biden wrote. “Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. And if you’re with us, donate to her campaign.”
Biden’s legacy: far-reaching accomplishments that didn’t translate into political support
Historians and political advisers say history will be kinder to President Joe Biden than voters have been.
David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to President Barack Obama, said Biden’s legacy will include many legislative achievements, but above all, he will be remembered as the president who defeated Donald Trump.
Read more about Biden's legacy.
White House expects no serious challenge to Harris; convention delegates show early signs of unity
Inside the White House, there’s low expectation that Harris will get a serious challenge following Biden’s endorsement, according to a person familiar with deliberations who requested anonymity to discuss the private conversations.
Among potential top tier contenders, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has already said she won’t run, while California Gov. Gavin Newsom has said he would back Harris if she became the nominee.
Other names that have been bandied about as viable contenders — including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper — would also seem unlikely to run in light of Biden’s endorsement for Harris and the expected fundraising advantage she would hold over anyone else.
Meanwhile delegates who are pledged to support Biden at the Democratic National Convention expressed admiration for the president and also showed early signs of uniting around Harris.
“I believe it’s her time and has earned the right to be our nominee,” said Paul Pezzella, a Massachusetts delegate who has been active in Democratic politics for decades. “I can’t think any American isn’t sad about Biden’s decision and that he has proven to be a patriot.”
Lee Cutler, political coordinator for the Northeast Area Labor Council affiliated with the Minnesota AFL-CIO, said he wishes Democrats had been able to start the process of replacing Biden earlier in the electoral cycle but he is also proud of the president.
“When we were voting for Biden, we were also voting for Kamala Harris,” Cutler said. “We were voting for an 82-year-old man.”
— Aamer Madhani
Upcoming Biden-Netanyahu meeting is still on
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with President Joe Biden at the White House this week as planned, despite Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race, a person familiar with Biden’s schedule said Sunday.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly, said the exact timing of the meeting has not been established because Biden is recovering from COVID-19.
Netanyahu is scheduled to deliver an address to Congress on Wednesday. He is also expected to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris, who is now seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination.
An official in Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the Israeli leader was set to travel to Washington, as scheduled, on Monday. The official also spoke on condition of anonymity pending a formal announcement.
— Aamer Madhani and Josef Federman
Some world reactions to Biden’s withdrawal
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov urged Russians to “pay attention” and “watch what will happen” in the U.S. election in November now that Biden has withdrawn his candidacy.
Peskov was quoted by Russian pro-Kremlin tabloid Life.ru as saying that “there are still four months until the elections. And this is a long period, during which a lot can change.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Biden a friend and said the president has achieved a lot for the U.S., Europe and the world. Scholz cited a strong NATO and close transatlantic cooperation as examples.
New British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who met Biden for the first time this month, said he knows he reached his decision based on what he believes is in the “best interests of the American people.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau thanked Biden and the first lady Jill Biden, saying on the social platform X; “He’s a great man, and everything he does is guided by his love for his country. As President, he is a partner to Canadians — and a true friend.”
And Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised the U.S. president for his “leadership and ongoing service” and said the two countries’ alliance “has never been stronger with our shared commitment to democratic values, international security, economic prosperity and climate action for this and future generations.”
Clyburn, credited with helping Biden win the 2020 nomination, endorses Harris
South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, who is credited with helping President Joe Biden win the party’s nomination four years ago with his endorsement, has thrown his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
Clyburn, a co-chair of Biden’s campaign, said the president showed good judgment in choosing a running mate who has the necessary “values and vision.” He said he is proud to follow Biden’s lead in supporting Harris.
Clyburn also heaped praise on Biden. He said the president “improved the lives of countless Americans through his selfless service” and thanked him for his strong leadership.”
Vance says Harris ‘owns’ Biden’s policies
Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, who was initially expected to face off against Kamala Harris in a debate, linked her Sunday to all of Biden’s policies.
Vance said Harris “co-signed” Biden’s border and climate policies and that those drove up prices for housing and groceries.
“She owns all of these failures,” Vance said on the social platform X.
“President Trump and I are ready to save America, whoever’s at the top of the Democrat ticket,” the Ohio senator said. “Bring it on.”
Kamala Harris says she's honored to have Biden's support
Vice President Kamala Harris says she is honored to have President Joe Biden’s support to replace him as the Democratic nominee heading into the November election.
Harris said she intends to “earn and win this nomination.”
She released a statement calling the 81-year-old Biden's decision to end his reelection campaign a “selfless and patriotic act.”
She also thanked Biden for “extraordinary leadership” and argued that his legacy as a one-term president would surpass the records of many chief executives who served two terms in office.
Some Democratic governors praise Biden but don’t immediately endorse Harris as his successor
Govs. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, Laura Healy of Kansas, Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Tim Walz of Minnesota are among Democrats who are praising Biden's record of public service. But they didn’t follow the president’s lead and endorse Harris as his successor.
Beshear said Biden will be remembered as a “consequential president” who, with Harris, led the country through the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Walz, who heads the Democratic Governors Association, said “history will look fondly on his legacy.”
Healy said few could have “risen to the challenge” like Biden. The Massachusetts governor had issued a statement several weeks ago urging Biden to think hard about his campaign.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also praised Biden’s public service Sunday, saying on social media platform X that Biden “knows better than anyone what it takes to defeat Donald Trump."
“My job in this election will remain the same: doing everything I can to elect Democrats and stop Donald Trump, a convicted felon whose agenda of raising families’ costs, banning abortion nationwide, and abusing the power of the White House to settle his own scores is completely wrong for Michigan,” she said.
Former President Barack Obama praises Biden, stops short of endorsing Harris
Former President Barack Obama has praised President Joe Biden's decision to abandon his reelection quest. But Obama stopped short of endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to replace Biden as the Democratic nominee the 2024 presidential race.
Obama called Biden, his former vice president, “one of America’s most consequential presidents, as well as a dear friend and partner to me.”
Obama said Sunday that when he picked Biden as his running mate in the 2008 campaign, “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.”
Obama said Biden “has never backed down from a fight,” adding that “he wouldn’t make this decision unless he believed it was right for America.
Of what’s to come, Obama said he has “extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges.” That nominee will face Republican and former President Donald Trump in November.
Clintons throw their support behind Kamala Harris
Former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a joint statement endorsing Kamala Harris, saying it’s time to "fight with everything we’ve got" to elect her.
The Clintons said Biden in his “extraordinary career” had “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.”
They added that Biden’s leadership had “advanced our founders’ charge to build a more perfect union and his own stated goal of restoring the soul of our nation.”
DNC says top priority is a candidate who can beat Trump
Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison says following President Joe Biden’s abandoning his reelection bid that “the work that we must do now, while unprecedented, is clear.”
“In the coming days, the party will undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward,” Harrison said in a statement, with “a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump in November.”
“This process will be governed by established rules and procedures of the party,” Harrison added. “Our delegates are prepared to take seriously their responsibility in swiftly delivering a candidate to the American people.”
His statement also noted: “In short order, the American people will hear from the Democratic Party on next steps and the path forward for the nomination process.”
Biden throws support behind his vice president, Kamala Harris
President Joe Biden has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take on Trump in November, and encouraged the Democratic Party to unite behind her.
In a stunning social media post Sunday, Biden announced he was pulling out of the race for a second term in the White House.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And 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,” Biden wrote in a letter posted to his X account.
Biden threw his support behind Harris.
“Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year,” he said in a separate post. “Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump.”
Schumer, first lady react to decision by Biden to drop reelection bid
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement that President Joe Biden “has not only been a great president and a great legislative leader but he is a truly amazing human being.
Biden announced Sunday that he was dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.
“His decision of course was not easy, but he once again put his country, his party, and our future first,” said Schumer, who traveled to Rehoboth Beach earlier this month to speak to Biden directly about the race. “Joe, today shows you are a true patriot and great American.”
First lady Jill Biden responded by reposting the president’s letter announcing his decision and adding red heart emojis.
Granddaughter Naomi Biden Neal said on social media that “I’m nothing but proud of my Pop.”
She said he has served the country “with every bit of his soul and with unmatched distinction” and that “our world is better today in so many ways thanks to him.”
Biden ends his bid for reelection
President Joe Biden announced that he is ending his bid for reelection after a disastrous debate inflamed doubts he’s fit for four more years on the job.
He made the announcement Sunday.
The president said he will address the American people later this week “in more detail about my decision.”