TRANSCRIPT
“I mean, if the Lord Almighty came down and said Joe get out of the race, I'd get out of the race but the Lord's not coming down. I mean, these hypotheticals George... If, I mean ..”
Just weeks ago, U-S President Joe Biden told America's A-B-C that there was no way he would be dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.
Now, Mr Biden has announced he is withdrawing from the campaign and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.
Within just hours of the announcement, the Democratic party received US$30 million dollars in political donations, with one strategist saying this could be the “greatest fundraising moment in Democratic Party history”.
following weeks of mounting pressure from fellow Democrats, the 46th President of the United States has become the first sitting president to withdraw from a campaign just a month ahead of the Democratic nomination.
Joe Biden made the announcement on social media platform X, saying his decision is in the best interest of both the Democratic party and the country.
Ending weeks of political chaos and division surrounding his poor debate performance, the Democratic Party must now direct efforts towards a new nominee, with all eyes on Kamala Harris.
The Executive Dean for Public Policy and Public Service Programs at Hofstra University, Dr Meena Bose says while she's a logical choice, Kamala Harris' nomination is by no means secured.
“Well, I think, first of all, let's be clear, although Vice President Harris is the logical choice to move to the top of the ticket and has President Biden's enthusiastic endorsement, has been endorsed by a number of Democrats already, including former President Clinton, among others, it's still unclear what will happen. And ultimately now the pledged delegates will have to cast their votes, now that President Biden is not running after. If there, if this goes beyond a first ballot, then the so-called, well previously known as the super delegates, some 700 of them, would have a voice as well. So, by no means is, the party has not, it's not clear at this point the vice president Harris, will be the nominee.”
Moments after Joe Biden's announcement, Republican nominee Donald Trump told C-N-N reporters he thinks Joe Biden is not fit to serve the remainder of his term.
He then told the network he believes it will be easier to beat Kamala Harris than Biden.
In a post on social media platform Truth Social, Mr Trump accused Joe Biden of faking illness, saying his recent bout of Covid-19 was simply a way to get out of the race.
However, despite Donald Trump's harsh rhetoric and expected bravado, there are suggestions the news may come as a blow to the Trump campaign.
Senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution Darrell M. West says the Republican party was hoping it would be a Trump Biden election.
“Trump wanted to run against Biden. He really thought he could take Biden. And in fact, the polls were showing that he could have been very successful against Joe Biden. So I think it's going to create problems for Republicans in the short run in the sense they're just going to have to recast the whole thrust of their campaign which was saying Joe Biden was too old, he couldn't do the job, his family was corrupt -- all that disappears now. But I'm sure they will quickly go on the attack. They will note that she came out of the state of California, which is more liberal than the rest of the country. So they will end up with new talking points against whatever this Democratic ticket turns out to be.”
Within his own party, senior Democrats are voicing their support and thanks to Mr Biden for his withdrawal.
Former U-S President Barack Obama praised Joe Biden on social media, stopping short of expressing his endorsement for Kamala Harris.
Chair of the Democratic National Committee, Jaime Harrison says it was an emotional announcement.
“I am emotional about the President's decision because this president, Joe Biden, has been a transformational president. He's been a great leader. He's a good man, a decent man who has done so much for this nation. But so much, to see us as people. To value us. To fight for us.”
In Massachusetts, Democratic Senator Edward Markey has thrown his support behind Harris.
“When I was with Vice President Harris yesterday , the reaction of the audience was electric to her presence and her presentation. It was at a decibel level of reaction that is very rarely heard in politics. I was there, I witnessed it, and I think it's a preview of what's about to happen all across the country as Kamala Harris for president campaign now begins. I think it's really going to energize our party and our nation.”
Joe Biden is the first U-S President in over half a century to withdraw from a presidential campaign.
In the last 75 years, only two Democratic presidents, Harry S. Truman and Lyndon B. Johnson, have withdrawn during their election campaigns.
The elections following both Johnson and Truman's withdrawals ended poorly for the Democrats, however experts say the circumstances are quite different this time.
Dr Meena Bose says Joe Biden's legacy may now rely on the election outcome.
“What President Biden's legacy will be depend very much on what happens in November. If in fact, Democrats are able to hold the White House, potentially gain control of both chambers of Congress, keep the Senate and have the House. Then I think this will be seen as a very timely and important decision. But this is late in the game. There have been concerns raised about President Biden's age, energy, ability to run effectively for more than a year now. And this is, the timing is very tight for Democrats.”
Darrell M. West, however, says Joe Biden's legacy will honor more than just his final months.
“I think history will judge Joe Biden very favorably. I mean, he passed a landmark infrastructure bill. He is investing billions in mitigating climate change. He helped bring back a sense of decency to the office and respect for rule of law. America actually has one of the strongest economies around the world right now, so his policies actually are starting to pay off. And so I think when people look at what he did as president, people will have a lot of respect for the job that he did.”
Across the United States, voters are having mixed reactions.
Some are relieved, some are excited about the possibility of a black woman in the White House, while others previously on the fence, like Brittany from Wisconsin, say their vote now depends on who the Democrats choose.
“Before this news, honestly, I was still deciding between.. I run pretty moderate. So I was still kind of weighing my options. So Biden dropping out now really kind of changes a lot of what I was thinking as well, having to learn about a new candidate and everything.”
And while many are welcoming the news, others like Johnny from Atlanta fear the decision has been left too late.
“I was a little nervous about the direction of our country because of Biden being in office for such a long period of time, and I didn't want to see that again, to be honest. But then we think about candidacy and we look at Trump and then who else do we have? “
Here in Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he respects Mr Biden's decision.
“As he's done throughout his entire time in public life he has acted in what he considers to be the best interests of the United States of America. He is someone who, in January, will be able to retire from public life with an extraordinary record.”
The Democratic Party has until August 19 to decide who will be replacing Joe Biden as the party nominee.
Mr Biden says he will finish his term in office before stepping down in 2025.
