President Biden dropped his 2024 re-election bid Sunday — becoming the first presumptive party leader in modern American history to bow out this late in the race.
There is no precedent for the 81-year-old commander-in-chief’s decision to call it quits just weeks out from when he would’ve been officially crowned the Democrats’ nominee for president.
“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 announcing his decision Sunday afternoon.
Biden sent that letter out to the public while recovering from COVID-19. His withdrawal came in the aftermath of a massive pressure campaign from Democrats to step aside after his disastrous debate performance against former President Donald Trump in June.
Earlier this month, he publicly declared that he was “firmly committed” to sticking it out and the Biden-Harris campaign team denied rumors that he was planning to drop out.
There are about 107 days left between now and election day.
What to know about President Biden’s decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race:
Has a president ever dropped out before?
The last major presidential incumbent to drop out was former President Lyndon B. Johnson, who did so about 295 days before election night.
Before him, former President Harry Truman exited the race about 297 days before the election. And Calvin Coolidge did so about 580 days out.
Unlike Biden, none of those presidents faced serious concerns about their cognitive abilities to fulfill the duties of the presidency.
So while it is not totally unprecedented for presidents not to seek reelection, this is the first time that kind of decision was made in such close proximity to election night.
What happens now that Biden has dropped out?
Just after his announcement, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him.
“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,” he wrote.
The latest on President Biden’s decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race:
However, top Democrats who called on him to pass the baton had splintered over how to proceed.
Biden did tease that more details on that front could be forthcoming — and since he has control over the delegates needed to become the Democrats’ nominee for president, his decision will play an important role in what comes next.
In backing his vice president, Biden is showing loyalty to her and seemingly trying to steer the party away from a messy, open convention process just three and a half months out from election night.
“I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision,” Biden wrote in his public letter.
Next, Democrats will could face stiff legal battles from Republicans, who might try to challenge any name changes on the ballot or even Harris’ access to the campaign’s war chest, which ended June with just shy of $100 million, per campaign fillings.
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Source Link: https://nypost.com/2024/07/21/us-news/is-this-the-first-time-a-president-has-dropped-out-of-a-presidential-race/
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President Biden dropped his 2024 re-election bid Sunday — becoming the first presumptive party leader in modern American history to bow out this late in the race. There is no precedent for the 81-year-old commander-in-chief’s decision to call it quits just weeks out from when he would’ve been officially crowned the Democrats’ nominee for president. …
