Joe Biden election updates: President’s Kamala Harris fears
Joe Biden had “doubts” over his Vice-President Kamala Harris, which delayed his dropping out of the race - a bombshell report claims.
US President Joe Biden has dropped his re-election bid, four months out from the election.
Mr Biden declared it was in the “best interest” of the Democratic Party and the country for him to withdraw from the election race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him on the ballot.
“While it has been my intention to seek re-election, 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,” Mr Biden wrote in a letter he posted on his X account on Sunday (US time).
“It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve as your President.”
The news comes after the President faced mounting pressure to drop out of the race after his televised debate against former president Donald Trump.
Follow our live coverage below.
Biden delayed dropping out because he doubted Harris’ chances against Trump - report
President Biden partly delayed dropping his 2024 re-election campaign because he doubted whether Vice President Kamala Harris could actually take on Donald Trump, a new report says.
The 81-year-old president and his senior advisers had expressed the concerns about whether Ms Harris was up to the challenge of facing off against Trump in the lead up to his historic announcement, Axios reported Monday, citing three Biden aides familiar with the conversations.
Still, Biden ultimately ended up endorsing Ms Harris, 59, when he revealed he was stepping aside Sunday — weeks after his train wreck debate against Trump threw his campaign into disarray.
Meanwhile, Biden and Harris spoke repeatedly over the phone in the hours before the bombshell announcement was made public, sources said.
Harris, on her part, spent more than 10 hours making frantic calls to Democratic Party leaders and politicians, sources told the Wall Street Journal.
Crucial information that led Biden to pull out of election race
Biden’s bombshell last-minute decision to withdraw from the election was taken after polling data suggested he was falling behind, sources have revealed.
Details of the agonising 48 hours before the shocking announcement have emerged - and show that Biden was certain he would run for re-election, until Saturday.
His advisers were even putting together a campaign schedule for him upon his return to the White House next week.
The source added: “The message was ‘proceed with everything, full speed ahead’”.
But after going through polling data late on Saturday, the 81-year-old changed his mind.
On Sunday, he gathered his senior White House and campaign team and he sensationally announced he had decided to drop out at 1:45 pm - just a minute before he posted his decision on X.
Another source said the president was handed internal polling by his top aides on Saturday night - which eventually led to his bombshell decision not to run for re-election.
The data showed he was falling behind in six critical states as well as other places like Virginia and Minnesota where Democrats had not planned on needing to spend massive resources.
After announcing his decision to his closest aides Steve Ricchetti and Mike Donilon he asked them to start drafting a letter - which he would later read to his senior White House and campaign team on a call.
One official said: “He read the letter to us and wanted us to understand his thinking.
“He said he had wrestled with it over the last 48 hours.
“This was really closely held. It came as a surprise to most White House folks.”
‘Shock and awe’: Kamala makes her move
Former president Barack Obama’s top political advisor says Ms Harris had already rolled out an “impressive shock and awe campaign” since Mr Biden’s announcement.
David Axelrod, who was the chief strategist for Mr Obama’s election campaigns, said it appeared the would-be Democratic nominee had moved quickly to shore up her position.
“A lot of big dominoes have fallen, including almost all of the major, potential contenders who might have challenged her,” he posted to X.
“Hard to see any other outcome here than her nomination.”
Media outlets in the US have reported Ms Harris has been hitting the phones speaking with key figures, including Senator Gary Peters, who is leading the party’s Senate election campaign.
A deluge of Democrats have made public statements urging the party to get behind Ms Harris’ campaign, including 27 senators. Among them is Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock, who was himself considered an, albeit remote, chance of being in contention for the presidential ticket.
“I have been proud to work alongside [Biden] and our very able Vice President, Kamala Harris, and I am proud to endorse her candidacy to be next President of the United States,” he posted on X.
CNN reports another Democrat considered a potential front runner for the party, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, joined a call with the Harris campaign on Sunday night US time.
And two other potential challengers, California Governor Gavin Newsom and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, have formally endorsed Ms Harris.
Mr Biden’s endorsement has triggered a changing of the guard on social media, with the BidenHQ X account being rebranded to KamalaHQ today.
Trump’s chances drop as Democrats rake in millions
Donald Trump’s re-election odds have taken a dip after Joe Biden announced he was dropping out of the race, according to bookmakers.
MarketWatch reports betting websites are giving Trump about a 60 per cent chance of winning the November election.
While still the clear favourite, the former president had previously reported a 65 per chance before Mr Biden’s announcement and 69 per cent chance after his assassination attempt.
Meanwhile, Harris has a 38 per cent chance of winning the race to the White House, the outlet reports.
It comes as Democratic fundraising platform, ActBlue, announced it raised $27.5 million in just five hours after Mr Biden announced his withdrawal and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Small-dollar donors raise over $27.5 million on ActBlue in the first five hours of Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. Grassroots supporters are energised and excited to support her as the Democratic nominee,” it wrote in a post on X.
‘Force him’: Reason Biden’s inner circle planned debate so early
Joe Biden’s inner circle reportedly realised the president “wasn’t up” for the task of re-election months ago and took steps to show him why “he can’t do this anymore”, a White House correspondent has claimed.
Speaking to 2GB, former TIME Magazine White House correspondent Jay Newton-Small claimed there was a particular reason Mr Biden’s staff planned for him to speak at the first presidential debate so early ahead of the Republican National Convention and Democratic National Convention.
“The core inside team of Biden staffers realised 10 to 12, even 15 months ago, if not more, that Biden really wasn’t up for this,” she told the radio station.
“I’m told … those staffers wanted to sort of force Biden into a situation where he would have to either show the world that he was up for it, or would prove to the world that he wasn’t up for it. And obviously, the latter happened in this case”
Ms Newton-Small said the timing means Democrats may be looking at an open convention – which occurs when there is no named nominee.
“That’s why we’ve been hearing rumours for almost a year now for 10 months about an open convention. And that’s why they planned that debate so early,” she said.
“This was a decision that had to be done by Biden himself, and you have to get him there. You have to show him piece by piece why he can’t do this anymore. And I think that that’s exactly what his staff did.”
Ms Newton-Small said Mr Biden, who she described as a “lovely human being”, would be feeling hurt and “humiliated” after making the decision to drop out of the race.
“I think that’s why we’ve seen so many people come out today saying, ‘Thank you, Joe, you’ve done an incredible job, we want to thank you for your service’. And I think it’s hard for anyone to give up that amount of power,” she added.
‘Pisses him off’: Biden’s brother reveals reason behind President’s decision
Joe Biden’s brother has revealed the President’s health played a role in his “close call” to drop out of the election race.
Speaking to ABC News, Frank Biden said his brother’s decision came after several family members held discussions over the past week, led by first lady Jill Biden.
“It really boils down to this: it has to do with his overall health and vitality. Not anything cognitive. But he’s a proud guy, it pisses him off that he shuffles when he walks,” Mr Biden’s younger brother told the outlet.
“Joe has one thing uppermost in his mind. It’s not him, not his ego, not his ambition. He has really reached a place where the only thing that matters to him is the health of this nation.
Frank further confirmed to CBS News Mr Biden’s health “absolutely” was a factor in the decision.
However, a source close to the Biden family disputed Frank’s comments, telling ABC News, he hasn’t spoken to the President in weeks.
“What he said about health being a factor in the president’s decision is completely untrue.”
Mr Biden is currently self-isolating in his home in Delaware after testing positive to Covid last week.
The President’s doctor said in a statement on Sunday (US time) the 81-year-old’s symptoms have “improved significantly”.
“President Biden completed his eighth dose of PAXLOVID this morning, His symptoms improved significantly. His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and temperature remain absolutely normal. His oxygen saturation continues to be excellent on room air,” Dr Kevin O’Connor wrote.
Trump takes another swipe at Biden
Donald Trump is calling for the Republican Party to be reimbursed after his campaign spent money battling “Crooked Joe Biden”.
“So, we are forced to spend time and money on fighting Crooked Joe Biden, he polls badly after having a terrible debate, and quits the race,” Trump wrote Truth Social.
“Now we have to start all over again. Shouldn’t the Republican Party be reimbursed for fraud in that everybody around Joe, including his doctors and the Fake News Media, knew he was not capable of running for, or being, President? Just askin’?”
Trump earlier blasted Mr Biden in a separate post on Truth Social, platform, saying the president shouldn’t see out his term.
“Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve — And never was! He only attained the position of President by lies, Fake News, and not leaving his basement,” he wrote.
“All those around him, including his Doctor and the Media, knew that he wasn’t capable of being President, and he wasn’t.
“We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has done very quickly.”
Trump also sensationally accused Mr Biden of faking a Covid diagnosis to get out of another presidential debate.
“Does anybody really believe that Crooked Joe had Covid? No, he wanted to get out ever since June 27th, the night of The Debate, where he was completely obliterated. That was the big moment in Joe Biden’s demise,” Trump wrote.
White House staffers reportedly blindsided by Biden’s call
Joe Biden’s decision to drop his re-election bid reportedly came as a shock to White House staffers, with many claiming they learned of the news from social media.
“We’re all finding out by tweet,” one Democrat told Politico.
“None of us understand what’s happening.”
In another sign the announcement came as a surprise, the outlet reports the Biden-Harris campaign released an email calling for donations for “Joe and Kamala” eight minutes after Mr Biden broke the news.
White House campaign workers in Delaware were also working right up until the announcement.
“I don’t think a soul in Delaware knew,” a Biden state official told the outlet.
American magazine, WIRED, reported that re-election campaign staff didn’t receive any official communication that Mr Biden was dropping out of the race until almost 20 minutes after the announcement went up on social media.
“Team, sharing with you the letter from President Biden that was released just now. We will have more information later this afternoon,” Biden campaign managers Jen O’Malley Dillon and Julie Chavez Rodriguez reportedly wrote in an all-staff email.
“Look out for an invite to an all staff call. We are so grateful to be part of this team with you all. More soon.”
The email, sent at 2.03pm local time, linked to a statement Mr Biden had posted on X 17 minutes prior.
Calls for Biden to resign
Newly elected Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance is among a host of Republicans who are calling on Joe Biden to resign “immediately”.
Hours before Biden announced he was dropping out of the election race, Vance shared a post on X, writing: “If Joe Biden ends his re-election campaign, how can he justify remaining President?”
“Not running for re-election would be a clear admission that President Trump was right all along about Biden not being mentally fit enough to serve as Commander-in-Chief. There is no middle ground.”
A number of leaders in the Republican Party have echoed the call.
In a statement released after Mr Biden’s announcement, House Speaker Mike Johnson called on the President to resign “immediately”.
“If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President,” he wrote.
“November 5 cannot arrive soon enough.”
Republican Pat Fallon also weighed in, writing on X: “If Biden doesn’t think he’s capable of serving as Commander in Chief for another four years, what reason do we have to believe he can do the job for the next four months?”
“Who is in charge?” he added.
Republican Elise Stefanik wrote on X: “The Democrat Party is in absolute free fall for their blatantly corrupt and desperate attempt to cover up the fact that Joe Biden is unfit for office”.
“If Joe Biden does not have the cognitive ability to seek re-election, he does not have the cognitive ability to serve the remainder of his term,” wrote GOP Rep. Nancy Mace
The White House has confirmed Mr Biden will finish his term.
“President Biden inherited an economy in freefall, a skyrocketing violent crime rate, and alliances in tatters from his predecessor. He turned that around to deliver the strongest economic growth in the world and the lowest violent crime rate in nearly 50 years, while making NATO bigger than ever. He looks forward to finishing his term and delivering more historic results for the American people,” White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement to CNN.
‘I love you, Dad’: Hunter Biden reacts to father’s announcement.
Hunter Biden has reacted to his father’s decision to end his re-election campaign, praising the President’s dedication during his years of service.
“Over a lifetime I have witnessed him absorb the pain of countless everyday Americans who he’s given his personal phone number to, because he wanted them to call him when they were hurting,” said Hunter Biden, who has been recently convicted of federal gun-related charges.
“When their last hopes were slipping through their hands. That unconditional love has been his North Star as a President and as a parent.”
Hunter asked Americans to join him in thanking his father.
“He is unique in public life today, in that there is no distance between Joe Biden the man and Joe Biden the public servant of the last 54 years.
“I’m so lucky every night I get to tell him I love him, and to thank him. I ask all Americans to join me tonight in doing the same. Thank you, Mr. President. I love you, Dad.”
‘We will win’: Kamala Harris speaks out
Vice-President Kamala Harris has broken her silence after receiving Joe Biden’s endorsement, declaring her “intention is to earn and win” the Democratic presidential nomination.
In a statement released hours after Mr Biden announced his decision to drop out of the race, Ms Harris thanked the President for his leadership and said she was committed to defeating Trump.
“On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country,” Ms Harris Began.
“I am honoured to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination. Over the past year, I have travelled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election. And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead.”
The Vice-President said she will do “everything” in her power to unite her party and the nation.
“We have 107 days until Election Day. Together, we will fight. And together, we will win.”
Anthony Albanese praises Biden
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has responded to Mr Biden’s decision to withdraw from the election, praising the US President for his service.
“Thank you for your leadership and ongoing service President Biden,” Mr Albanese wrote in a brief statement on X.
“The Australia-US Alliance has never been stronger with our shared commitment to democratic values, international security, economic prosperity and climate action for this and future generations.”
Mr Albanese is among a host of politicians and celebrities to react to the news.
Obama’s shock response to Biden’s announcement
Former President Barack Obama has praised Biden on his decision to drop out of the election race, but has not immediately endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the nomination.
“Joe Biden has been one of America’s most consequential presidents, as well as a dear friend and partner to me.,” Mr Obama staid in a statement.
“Today, we’ve also been reminded — again — that he’s a patriot of the highest order.”
Among the praise, Mr Obama did not follow in Mr Biden or former President Mr Clinton’s footsteps in endorsing Ms Harris.
“We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges,” Mr Obama wrote.
“I believe that Joe Biden’s vision of a generous, prosperous, and united America that provides opportunity for everyone will be on full display at the Democratic Convention in August.”
Clintons endorse Harris
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton both joined MR Biden in endorsing Ms Harris for president on Sunday.“
We are honoured to join the President in endorsing Vice President Harris and will do whatever we can do to support her,” the Clintons said in a joint statement.
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