Biden exits race: Kamala Harris to challenge Trump in 2024

Joe Biden recommended Kamala Harris to represent the Democratic Party in the presidential election. The current White House occupant announced on Sunday that he is stepping down from seeking reelection. There had been speculation for several weeks that the US President might make this decision.

In recent months, Biden had several gaffes that indicated his age (81 years old) was taking its toll. One of the biggest occurred during the last NATO summit, where he confused Volodymyr Zelensky with Vladimir Putin. Earlier, there was a disastrous performance in the debate with Trump, where he struggled to articulate and finish sentences.

The polls were increasingly unfavorable for Biden. His competitor, Donald Trump, was gaining more popularity and, after surviving an assassination attempt on July 13 at a campaign rally, appeared to be a strong contender for victory in the November elections, according to many observers.

After Biden withdrew from the race, "The New York Times" recalled recent polls that asked who would win in a potential confrontation: Trump or Harris. What do they show? Nationwide, the Vice President has, on average, two percentage points less support than Donald Trump. She trails him 46 to 48 percent. However, this is a better result than Biden, who had 44 percent support compared to Trump's 47 percent.

The American newspaper also noted the results in so-called swing states - those where it is never entirely clear which candidate will win the most votes. In a survey conducted in Pennsylvania before the assassination attempt on Trump, Kamala Harris was trailing Trump by one percentage point. However, she had a 5 percent lead over the Republican candidate in Virginia. In both cases, Harris outperformed Biden, who was losing by 3 percent in Pennsylvania and winning by just 3 points in Virginia.

The Vice President could count on support in the polls primarily from younger people, Black people, and women. "NYT" notes that these are three groups essential for Democrats to achieve victory. Joe Biden seemed to be losing their support.

Kamala Harris must secure the party's approval during the August convention. It is still uncertain whether she will face off against Donald Trump. Politicians who might also run for the White House include former First Lady Michelle Obama, Pennsylvania Governor Joe Shapiro, and California Governor Gavin Newsom. Recall that the United States elections will be held on November 5.