Biden's surprise exit clears path for Kamala Harris 2024 run
CNN, citing sources from the White House, reports that Biden's decision to withdraw from the re-election race was kept secret until the very end. Senior staff members were reportedly informed just a few minutes before the announcement.
11:09 AM EDT, July 22, 2024
Biden's decision to withdraw was made on the fourth day of isolation at his beach house in Delaware, where he was isolating during his recovery from COVID-19. Politico said only a small group of assistants accompanied the president.
This weekend, Biden was joined by Steve Ricchetti, one of his closest aides. According to those familiar with the matter, Ricchetti went to Delaware to review the latest poll results and the opposition from Democrats calling for Biden to step down.
Just hours before the announcement, Biden's campaign staff received more bad news. The latest polls showed that the current president trailed by 7 percentage points in Michigan. That's more than double the deficit in this key state not too long ago.
"The announcement was kept strictly secret"
CNN, citing a senior White House official, reports that Joe Biden informed his campaign and White House team that he would withdraw from the presidential race shortly before sending the letter. According to the official, Biden had contemplated this decision for the past few days.
The news of Biden withdrawing from the election came as a surprise to many of his staff—both in the White House and the campaign. CNN spoke with several employees who found out when the president posted on the social media platform X. The announcement was kept strictly secret, one of Biden's advisers said.
Politico reports that until his withdrawal, the White House and campaign aides insisted he stay in the race. "We are all learning about this from the tweet. None of us understand what is happening," one Democrat said.
Another CNN source claims that most of Biden's campaign staff, including some senior members, found out from the president's post. The highest-ranking staff members found out just a few minutes before it was published. According to CNN's source, a meeting of the entire Biden campaign team and Democratic National Committee staff was announced for Sunday.
There are also reports that staffers considered Biden's decision "abrupt." One indication of this is the campaign's fundraising message for "Joe and Kamala" sent at 1:54 PM (local time) - eight minutes after Biden announced his departure.
Biden reportedly spoke with Kamala
Media reports indicate that Joe Biden spoke with Kamala Harris before announcing his decision. The 81-year-old expressed his "full support and endorsement" of Ms. Harris's candidacy as the Democratic Party nominee.
"I want to extend my support to Kamala Harris. I want her to be our party's candidate in the presidential election," Biden later wrote on the social media platform X.
