Biden’s Unexpected Exit Challenge for Harris as Democratic Nominee

On Sunday (July 21), President Biden, 81, unexpectedly announced through a letter he shared on social media that he was ending his re-election campaign, shocking the political world and leaving the Democratic Party in a rush to find a new candidate to run against former President Donald Trump. 

In another post on X, Biden endorsed Vice-President Kamala D Harris to take his place as the Democratic nominee for the forthcoming national convention from August 19-22. He urged Democrats to unite and work together to defeat Trump, saying, “Let’s do this.” Biden’s allies and opponents reacted to his announcement by preparing for a new and uncertain race for the White House. 

Biden’s announcement surprised many of his aides and advisers, especially since some had been on TV that morning saying he would continue his campaign. Biden informed Vice-President Harris, Chief of Staff Jeff Zients and Campaign Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon about his decision on Sunday afternoon. He shared the news with his senior staff at 1.45 pm and his statement was posted on X just a minute later. The person said Biden had made his final decision late on Saturday with a few close aides. 

Biden’s departure puts the Democratic Party in a unique and challenging situation just months before the November 5 election. This presidential race has already faced major events, including a felony conviction and an assassination attempt and Biden’s exit adds to the chaos in the country’s political scene this year. 

Donald Trump’s Felony Conviction 

On May 30, Trump made history as the first former US president to be convicted of felony crimes. A New York jury found him guilty on all 34 counts related to a plan to illegally influence the 2016 election by paying hush money to a porn actor who claimed they had an affair. 

Challenges Facing Kamala Harris 

While the party seemed to be rallying around Harris on Sunday, some lawmakers were pushing for a more open process to let other candidates compete for the nomination. This shows the confusion caused by Biden’s decision. Harris, a former senator from California, would have her own challenges in the race against Trump, whom many Democrats see as a serious threat to democracy. Her approval ratings have mostly followed Biden’s decline since 2021 and her campaign in the 2020 presidential primary struggled and ended before the voting started. 

Obama’s Silence on Kamala Harris 

Notably, former President Barack Obama did not endorse Harris in his statement, which praised Biden and mentioned that the Democrats would eventually find “an outstanding nominee”. In a statement on Sunday, Harris said she aimed to unite the Democratic Party and win the presidency. She said she was grateful for the president’s endorsement and planned to earn the nomination. 

Harris Receives Clinton’s Support 

Harris, 59, is the first woman, of Indian origin, and Indo-American to have become vice-president. And now, she has the chance to become the country’s first female president. On Sunday, she quickly gained support from many top Democrats, including numerous lawmakers, several governors, important groups—such as the Service Employees’ International Union—and both former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. 

Schumer Does Not Endorse Harris 

Senate majority leader Charles E Schumer (D-NY), who had warned Biden that his candidacy could hurt the Democrats, was among many elected Democrats who praised him for stepping aside, according to The Washington Post. But he did not endorse Harris. 

Before Biden announced his decision, Harris’s team began getting ready for her debate with Republican nominee JD Vance, according to two sources who asked to remain anonymous. Biden and Trump were set to have a second debate on September 10. It is now uncertain if Trump and Harris would participate. If Harris gets the nomination, she will need to choose a running mate quickly to meet all state ballot deadlines for the Democratic ticket. 

Before anything else could take place, Biden’s campaign started shifting on Sunday to become a “Harris for President” campaign. This will involve creating new logos, reaching out to donors again and using Biden’s campaign funds to help introduce Harris to voters. Biden’s campaign, based in Wilmington, Delaware, held a call on Sunday to reassure staff that they were still employed and would keep working to defeat Trump in November. Wilmington, Delaware, is important as the home of Biden’s campaign headquarters and has a long history in American politics, being the birthplace of several notable politicians. 

The situation for the Democrats—having a candidate drop out after winning most of the party primaries without much competition—is unusual in modern times. This follows weeks of careful planning by party leaders on how to move Biden aside, as he is known for being stubborn and resistant to those who dismiss him. This marks the end of an impressive political career that started when Biden was elected to the Senate in 1972 as one of the youngest senators. He will finish his term in January as the oldest president. 

The Democrats’ process for selecting their nominee will be rushed and filled with uncertainty, which could lead to more conflicts within the party. The Democratic National Convention is in four weeks in Chicago. Initially, Democrats planned to formally nominate Biden through a “virtual roll call” before the in-person event. To avoid any feelings of division, several state delegations for the Democratic National Convention announced, on Sunday, that they would fully support Harris, helping her get a head start on the nomination. 

The president will leave office with significant achievements, especially for a one-term leader during a time of great division. He successfully passed laws on infrastructure, climate change, health care, gun control and the semiconductor industry. He withdrew the US from Afghanistan, strengthened American alliances and led a coalition to support Ukraine against Russia. 

At the same time, he faced very low approval ratings and was blamed for high inflation, record numbers of migrants at the US-Mexico border and a chaotic troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. His strong backing of Israel during the Gaza conflict led to criticism both nationally and internationally. Additionally, worries about his age caused his poll numbers to drop, putting him behind Trump in several important swing states. 

By ending his re-election campaign, Biden follows in the footsteps of two other sitting presidents who also decided not to run again: Harry S Truman in 1952 and Lyndon B Johnson in 1968. However, those presidents made their announcements months earlier, allowing their party more time to prepare for the general election. Still, the Democrats lost both of those elections. 

Many Democrats found Biden’s presidential debate with Trump on June 27 surprising and disastrous, as he sometimes had trouble finishing his sentences. Despite this, Biden and his team insisted for weeks that he would remain in the race, comparing this situation to times in his long career when people thought he would not succeed. Voters have consistently told pollsters they worry about Biden’s age and the debate marked a turning point, revealing a wave of anxiety among Democrats that had been kept under control. 

On July 2, representative Lloyd Doggett (D-Tex) became the first House Democrat to publicly urge Biden to step aside as the nominee, referencing Johnson’s decision from 56 years ago. This started a difficult time for Democrats, with congressional members frequently expressing their support for Biden and respect for his achievements, but saying it was time for him to “pass the torch”. 

(The author of this article is a Defence, Aerospace & Political Analyst based in Bengaluru. He is also Director of ADD Engineering Components, India, Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany. You can reach him at: girishlinganna@gmail.com)