Biden ends reelection campaign, endorses Harris for 2024

The announcement came after mounting concerns among fellow Democrats about his mental acuity and his ability to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election

Muslim Network TV Desk

WASHINGTON (MNTV) – U.S. President Joe Biden has announced the end of his reelection campaign, a decision that has thrown the 2024 presidential race into unprecedented territory.

The announcement came after mounting concerns among fellow Democrats about his mental acuity and his ability to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election.

In a post on social media platform X, Biden stated, “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, who is set to address the nation, expressed his full endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for the 2024 election.

“My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President,” he wrote. “And it’s been 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. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”

This unexpected turn of events follows a faltering debate performance against Republican contender Donald Trump at the end of June, which intensified calls from within the Democratic Party for Biden to step aside.

During the debate, Biden’s performance was criticized for being incoherent and weak, a situation his party attributed to a cold.

Despite these challenges, Biden remained resolute in his commitment to his duties. He recently returned to his home in Delaware after being diagnosed with Covid-19, but expressed his eagerness to return to the campaign trail, stating, “I believe today and 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.”

More than 30 Congressional Democrats, including prominent figures such as Representative Adam Schiff and Senator Jon Tester, have publicly urged Biden to withdraw from the race.

Schiff, in particular, praised Biden’s service but emphasized the need for a new leader to defeat Trump, writing, “A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November.”

The debate on June 27 in Atlanta, Georgia, marked a turning point. Biden’s performance, marked by a stiff walk, hoarse voice, and meandering answers, reignited long-standing criticisms regarding his age and ability to handle the presidency’s pressures.

For weeks, Biden’s campaign staff insisted he would remain in the race.

Campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon reiterated Biden’s commitment as recently as Friday, stating on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, “Joe Biden is more committed than ever to beat Donald Trump, and we believe, on this campaign, we are built for the close election that we are in, and we see the path forward.”

However, Biden’s announcement on Sunday signifies a significant shift, leaving the Democratic Party in a state of uncertainty just weeks before the Democratic National Convention and less than four months before the November 5 election.

The decision places Kamala Harris in a historic position as the first Black woman to run at the top of a major party’s ticket.

It remains unclear whether other senior Democrats will challenge Harris for the party’s nomination or if the party will open the field for nominations.

Biden’s withdrawal aligns him with a small group of U.S. presidents who have chosen not to seek a second term, the last being Lyndon Johnson in 1968. Johnson’s replacement, then-Vice President Hubert Humphrey, went on to lose heavily to Richard Nixon in the general election.

As Biden prepares to address the nation, the political landscape braces for the ramifications of his decision, setting the stage for a contentious and historic 2024 election.