Joe Biden is putting an end to his 2024 presidential run less than a month after his disastrous performance at the June 27 debate with Donald Trump sparked an explosion of concerns among Democrats.
While concerns for the 81-year-old’s capacity existed throughout the last several months, the debate put Biden’s usual slip ups in a different kind of limelight. His slow reactions and obvious moments of confusion were impossible to hide when there were no pre-recorded questions or teleprompter for the president to lean on.
In the weeks since, 32 Democratic elected officials publicly called for the president to exit the race and dozens more expressed concern.
Biden lost major public support from non-politicians, too – including from critical celebrity endorsements. Actor George Clooney published an op-ed in the New York Times urging Biden to surrender his nomination after helping bring in a record $30 million at a fundraiser in June. Barack Obama allegedly knew about the op-ed ahead of its publication, but did not try to stop Clooney.
Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris shortly after he announced his decision.
Here’s what Democrats, donors and celebrities said about Biden’s campaign:
Click on each photo to read the quote.
Several top Democratic players’ names have appeared as possible candidates for the presidency, including Vice President Kamala Harris; Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan; Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania; Gov. Gavin Newsom of California; Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois; and Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky. However, Whitmer and several other of the top contenders have made clear that they are not planning to run in 2024.
If Biden did decide to exit the race before the DNC, these candidates could be written in and voted upon by delegates to become the Democratic nominee in August. If Biden does not step down, the convention’s protocol calls for delegates to maintain their support of Biden for the nomination.
Voters and Democrats will be paying close attention to Biden’s return to his campaign in the interview with Holt tonight, particularly as Trump has now successfully claimed the Republican nomination in Milwaukee.