President Biden withdrew from the 2024 presidential race after intense mounting pressure from Democratic leaders. He then endorsed Vice President Harris shortly after.
Biden announced his decision Sunday afternoon in a letter posted on X, saying that while it was “the greatest honor” of his life to be president, he had decided that “it was in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”
And to think that Biden did this on National Ice Cream Day, which he of all people understands is a national holiday(!) Read Biden’s announcement
Did anyone have advance notice: Yes, but only a few people.:
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His deputy chief of staff Annie Tomasini
- Political aide Steve Ricchetti
- Longtime adviser to the president Mike Donilon
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First Lady Jill Biden and her senior advisor Anthony Bernal
When was Harris notified?: About 20 minutes prior to his announcement. He also told Jeff Zients, his Chief of Staff, and campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon. He reportedly broke the news to other senior advisors and senior campaign aides
one minute prior to his post.
Will Harris be the nominee?: It’s not guaranteed, but it sure looks that way. By late Sunday, she had consolidated much of the support needed to become the Democratic presidential nominee. She has already won endorsements from Biden, former President Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and nearly three dozen Senate Democrats.
Key Democrats who have *not* made an endorsement yet: Former President Obama, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). Keep an eye out for their nods.
Delegate tracker: Harris needs 1,986 delegates to formally win the nomination. So far, she has 531 committed delegates. 📊 Delegate tracker
She had a massive fundraising haul: Harris raised nearly $50 million in the hours after Biden stepped aside.
If Harris is the nominee, what does this mean for November?: The Hill’s Julia Mueller compared the Trump-Harris polls to explain what the match-up would look like. Basically, Harris would face similar challenges as Biden in November. Trump leads her by 2 points, according to recent polling, while Trump led Biden by 2.5 points.
^ And if you add in RFK Jr.: “With independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the mix, Trump boasts a 6-point lead over Harris, 43 percent support to 37 percent, while Kennedy sits at 6 percent.”
Read more: ‘Harris vs. Trump: What the polls tell us’
