Not so stunning...

Joe Biden Drops Out of Presidential Race

The decision fundamentally alters an already chaotic 2024 election—as well as his legacy.

INAE OH

President Biden on X announced that he is ending his reelection bid, bowing to immense pressure to step aside following his disastrous debate performance late last month that led to near-constant questioning of his physical ability to campaign and mounting skepticism of his ability to defeat former President Donald Trump as polls worsened.

In a separate post, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the nominee.

The stunning decision immediately upends an already chaotic race in an election year many see as pivotal for American democracy. Though Biden’s campaign had emphasized that the president was still committed to remaining the party’s nominee despite his critics, scrambled efforts to reassure the party ultimately failed to resuscitate his bid. Donors fled and Democrats, including some of Biden’s most prominent allies, went public with their alarm. Polls showed increasing, widespread concern over Biden’s mental fitness. The assassination attempt on Trump appeared to deepen the contrast between Trump, defiant with a raised fist immediately after the shooting, and Biden.

Biden’s decision to withdraw ends nearly 50 years of public service that included a nearly four-decade tenure as a senator from Delaware and vice president to Barack Obama. As president, Biden successfully passed several monumental laws including the Inflation Reduction Act. His leadership is widely credited with steering the US through the end of the pandemic as well as stabilizing the country after January 6. But in addition to the issue of his age, foreign conflicts have dragged down Biden’s reputation, particularly as he stood steadfast in his support for Israel’s military operation in Gaza. For now, it is hard not to think of that mumbled line as he stared out dazed from the debate stage: “Look, if we finally beat Medicare...” But his legacy will be remembered far beyond it.