Welcome to a special Sunday edition of From the Politics Desk, bringing you the latest reporting and analysis from NBC News on President Joe Biden’s monumental decision to drop out of the 2024 race.
Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday here.
Biden drops out and endorses Harris, nullifying the 2024 election
President Joe Biden caused a political earthquake on Sunday afternoon by announcing he would end his re-election campaign. The decision brings an abrupt and humiliating conclusion to his half-century political career and derails his race for the White House just four months before Election Day.
Peter Nicholas writes that 81-year-old Biden ultimately failed to reverse the rising sentiment within his party that he was too fragile to serve and was destined to lose to donald trump in November. He supported Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him as the Democratic nominee.
“While it was my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to resign and focus exclusively on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term,” Biden said. wrote in a letter posted on X. “I will speak to the Nation later this week with more details about my decision.”
Biden thanked Harris for “being an extraordinary partner” in his letter and later supported her in a subsequent post. The two spoke several times on Sunday before the announcement, according to a source familiar with the campaign.
Harris in the driver’s seat: Biden’s endorsement of Harris, 59, puts her ahead of the pack to be the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee. Harris, the first female vice president, would become the first Black woman and the first person of South Asian descent to be nominated by a major party, Note from Dareh Gregorian and Yamiche Alcindor.
But Biden’s support does not mean the final word on the issue.
As Alex Seitz-Wald and Ben Kamisar explainAlthough Biden won virtually all the delegates to next month’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago and was the party’s presumptive nominee, he relinquishes that title as he steps aside and has no direct power over choosing who those delegates will officially nominate.
This is because convention delegates, the people who actually choose the Democratic Party candidate, are not obligated by any law or party rule to support the candidate they have pledged to support. They just need to “reflect in good conscience the feelings of those who elected them.”
It is far from clear whether any prominent Democrats will challenge Harris in what could be a murky process to replace Biden. Sahil Kapur Reports. And if the party unites around her, then some of these future presidential candidates could become her vice presidential picks.
While some — like Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro — quickly endorsed Harris on Sunday, other rumored or possible candidates — like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer — are keeping their letters under wraps, with most of them refraining from discussing the succession. from Biden.
Meanwhile, Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia – who left the Democratic Party to become an independent earlier this year – is considering running for the party’s nomination, Julie Tsirkin reports.
How Democrats are responding: Top Democrats on Sunday praised Biden for his achievements in the White House, saying he has cemented his legacy, Rebecca Shabad Reports.
Democratic leaders were divided on their support for Harris. Former President Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi did not immediately support her.
Meanwhile, Representative James Clyburn, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton quickly threw their support behind Harris.
How Republicans are responding: On a interview with Garrett HaakeTrump said Biden “is by far the worst president in the history of the United States.”
Meanwhile, other Republicans have argued that if Biden is not fit to run for another term, he should also resign from the presidency, Notes by Sahil Kapur.
How voters are responding: Some Biden supporters who spoke with NBC News on Sunday afternoon said they were disappointed with his decision, while others who had planned to vote for him were energized by the idea that a different candidate might fare better against Trump.
What year was this month: From debate to withdrawal, Shannon Pettypiece and Mark Murray describe how the last 25 days It completely upended American politics.
Follow the latest developments on our live blog →
Biden, Once Considered Too Young to Serve, Now Too Old to Win
By Pedro Nicolau
Thus ends the half-century career of a flawed but resilient politician who won the White House in a close election and lost it four years later in a debate: Joseph Robinette Biden Jr.
Biden, 81, now assumes a limping presidency for the next six months as the party he led abandoned him within weeks for an as-yet-unidentified candidate to lead the fight against Trump.
As stunning as his fall was, Biden may be better prepared than most to deal with the backlash. Few presidents in history have endured as much tragedy and disillusionment as the 46th.
Biden’s life has swung between unexpected triumph and unimaginable loss. He won elections and lost them. He built a family, lost part of it, rebuilt it and lost part of it once again.
Hardened by experience, Biden appears to understand that political partnerships are transactional: They come with expiration dates.
If you want a friend in Washington, “get a dog,” Biden said at an NAACP convention on July 16, invoking Democratic President Harry Truman’s famous maxim.
Read more from Peter about Biden’s legacy →
How Harris fares against Trump in 2024 polls
By Mark Murray
A looming challenge for Harris: She has been polling the same as Biden against Trump — or just a little better — according to several polls conducted before Biden withdrew from the race.
And Biden was trailing Trump in many national polls and in swing states — which precipitated his withdrawal.
In NBC News’ latest national pollheld more than a week after Biden’s dismal debate performance but before Trump’s assassination attempt, both Biden and Harris trailed Trump by 2-point margins among registered voters, although the actual percentages for each candidate were slightly many different.
Trump led Biden 45% to 43%, while he took 47% to Harris’ 45% in the confrontation. Both electoral tests were within the poll’s margin of error.
Likewise, a post-debate Fox News national poll found Trump ahead by 1 point against Biden (Trump 49%, Biden 48%) and Harris (Trump 49%, Harris 48%) among registered voters.
But other polls have shown Harris slightly ahead of Biden by 1 or 2 points — although, critically, she still trails Trump at this point in some key matchups.
A CBS News/YouGov national poll of likely voters conducted after the assassination attempt found Trump leading Biden by 5 points among likely voters, 52% to 47%, while it showed Harris trailing by 3 points, 51% to 48% .
Is at New York Times/Siena College Battlefield Polls From Pennsylvania and Virginia, Harris performed 2 points better than Biden among likely voters in those two states.
It is important to emphasize that each result is within the margin of error of each poll – as is the difference between Biden and Harris’ numbers. Also important: It’s possible these numbers could change following news of Biden’s exit from the race. But for now, Biden’s numbers and Harris’ numbers look pretty similar.
That’s all from the Department of Politics for now. If you have feedback – like or dislike – send us an email at newsletter@nbcuni.com
And if you’re a fan, please share it with anyone and everyone. They can sign up here.
This article was originally published in NBCNews. with
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24016885/STK093_Google_04.jpg?w=300&resize=300,300&ssl=1 "Google Wallet can create digital passes for almost anything now")
