Biden dropping out of the 2024 race
President Joe Biden is dropping out of the 2024 presidential race, and will "focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term."
He also won't address the nation about it until sometime next week (after his next blood transfusion, we assume?).
View: https://x.com/JoeBiden/status/1815080881981190320
Kamala Harris' odds of being the 2024 Democratic nominee just spiked - though Biden
notably did not endorse her in his letter.
Kamala's odds against Trump also just spiked:
And of course,
if Biden can't run, how can he remain president?
Read his message here:
My Fellow Americans,
Over the past three and a half years, we have made great progress as a Nation.
Today, America has the strongest economy in the world. We’ve made historic investments in rebuilding our Nation, in lowering prescription drug costs for seniors, and in expanding affordable health care to a record number of Americans. We’ve provided critically needed care to a million veterans exposed to toxic substances. Passed the first gun safety law in 30 years. Appointed the first African American woman to the Supreme Court. And passed the most significant climate legislation in the history' of the world. America has never been better positioned to lead than we are today.
I know none of this could have been done without you. the American people. Together, we overcame a once in a century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Circa! Depression. We’ve protected and preserved our Democracy. And we’ve revitalized and strengthened our alliances around the world.
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.
I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision.
For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to sec me reelected. I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me.
I believe today what I 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.
And hey, Kamala has the support of
Elizabeth Warren, so there's that.
The announcement came after
in intense pressure campaign, after
new polling showed that
60% of Americans said Biden should drop out.
The opposition included
virtually the entire Democratic party - from Pelosi down, and even former Democrat (now independent)
Sen. Joe Manchin,
the deep state, and Democratic donors - who began pausing funds after last month's horrific debate between Biden and Donald Trump - and most recently led by a call from
Mike Novogratz to replace Biden.
"
The Democratic donor base will be re-energized if there’s a fair process to pick the next candidate," said Novogratz, the billionaire founder of Galaxy Digital Holdings, who added that if Democrats pick a centrist replacement through a nomination process, "there are a tremendous amount of donors who will cut checks."
According to veteran Democrat operative James Carville in a statement to Semafor last week, "
This I can confirm. Donors in revolt."
"Campaigns are expensive. Sadly, the George Clooney check-writing crowd opposed to Biden remaining in the race might win out," Democratic consultant Hank Sheinkopf told
Newsweek in response to a recent
NYT op-ed by the actor.
"He who controls the gold might make the rules, making the Democrats no different from the Republicans," he added.
The decision to drop out came after the Clintons were reportedly privately urging Democrat donors to keep giving to Biden as long as he remains the presumptive nominee.
One of the sources said the Clintons are choosing to be “deferential to Biden’s decision.” However, the second source, who is familiar with the Clintons’ thinking and has spoken with the couple in recent days, insisted that it is more accurate to say they are “deferential to the process.”
According to this source, the Clintons have made clear in private conversations recently that it doesn’t matter what anybody says or thinks — unless Biden decides he will drop out of the 2024 race or the delegates vote for somebody else, he is the party’s presumptive nominee. -CNN
Deep State Displeased
On Friday,
NBC News reported that "More than four dozen former foreign and national security officials call on Biden to drop out of race" - so the deep state is officially negative on Biden.
"We write as former U.S. officials who have strongly supported your presidency and your initiatives to strengthen U.S. foreign and national security policy," they wrote in a letter. "
We strongly believe that now is the time to pass the mantle of leadership, and we respectfully urge you to do so."
What now?
While Biden didn't endorse Harris, he could ask that the Delegates do so. That said, they are under
no obligation.