POTUS' PLIGHT
Joe Biden called on to resign immediately by JD Vance, House Speaker Mike Johnson & other GOP as he’s ‘not fit to serve’
Republicans were quick to call on the president's resignation after his sudden withdrawal
JD Vance has led the Republican Party's calls for President Joe Biden to resign from his post as commander-in-chief.
Biden's last-minute decision to withdraw from the election on Sunday afternoon raised further questions from the about his ability to finish the remainder of his term.
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Vance, Donald Trump's running mate, released a statement on X just hours before Biden's decision was made.
"If Joe Biden ends his reelection campaign, how can he justify remaining President?" Vance questioned.
"Not running for reelection would be a clear admission that President Trump was right all along about Biden not being mentally fit enough to serve as Commander-in-Chief," he continued.
"There is no middle ground."
But Vance isn't the only prominent Republican asking Biden to step down before November.
Representative Elise Stefanik, the GOP conference chair, a statement Sunday afternoon claiming Biden is "unfit" to continue in his current role.
"If Joe Biden can't run for re-election, he is unable and unfit to serve as President of the United States. He must immediately resign," Stefanik said.
"The Democrat Party is in absolute free fall for their blatantly corrupt and desperate attempt to cover up the fact that Joe Biden is unfit for office.
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"Every elected Democrat in America owns Joe Biden's failed and feckless record causing the border crisis, Bidenflation, and chaos and weakness around the world."
She concluded by saying, "President Trump will win this November to save America."
House Speaker Mike Johnson also issued a lengthy statement, telling Americans, "At this unprecedented juncture in American history, we must be clear about what just happened."
He went on to explain how he believes the "forced" Biden to quit the race.
"Having invalidated the votes of more than 14 million Americans who selected Joe Biden to be the Democrat nominee for president, the self-proclaimed ‘party of democracy’ has proven exactly the opposite," he continued.
Speaker Johnson said that the "party's prospects are no better now with Vice President Kamala Harris" and insisted "she has known for as long as anyone of his incapacity to serve."
"If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President. He must resign the office immediately. November 5 cannot arrive soon enough," he concluded the statement.
It comes as...
- Biden admits stepping aside is "in the best interest" of the Democratic Party
- He immediately endorses Vice President Kamala Harris, who vows to "earn" the Democratic nomination
- Trump slams Biden as the "worst president in history" and says Kamala will be "easier to defeat"
- House Speaker Mike Johnson, GOP VP nominee JD Vance and other GOP call on Biden to resign if he’s "not fit to run"
- Expert warns Biden dropping out is bad news for Republicans
- Bill and Hillary Clinton endorse Harris but Barack Obama doesn't
- Timeline reveals Biden's failed re-election bid from debate disaster to Democrat betrayals
- Gavin Newsom tops list of names floated as possible replacements for Biden
Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno has echoed the calls made by the Speaker.
"If Joe Biden is unfit to run, he is unfit to serve. I am formally calling on Joe Biden to resign the Presidency because his continued presence in the situation room is a national security threat," he wrote in a statement on X.
Senator Roger Marshall demanded that Joe resign "right now" adding, "if he's unfit to campaign, he should not have the nuclear codes."
Senator Mike Braun issued a similar statement, on X, "If President Biden is incapable of serving as his party’s nominee, he’s incapable of serving as our Commander-in-Chief for the next 6 months."
"He should resign effective immediately as a matter of national security," Braun said.
Timeline of Biden's failed re-election bid
President Joe Biden endured weeks of calls to step aside before he announced on July 21 that he was dropping out of the 2024 presidential race. Here are key developments leading up to his decision.
June 27: Biden's disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump sparks calls for him to step aside. His voice is raspy and he trails off several times after having already endured questions about his age and mental capacity following a series of blunders at public events.
July 2: Polls after the debate indicate that Trump is pulling ahead. Rep. Lloyd Doggett is the first Democratic congressman to publicly urge Biden to drop his bid for re-election and big Democratic donors issue the same call a day later.
July 5: Biden does a live TV interview with George Stephanopoulos where he tries to quell fears about his age and debate performance. He calls it a "bad night" and says he was under the weather and "exhausted."
July 10: Senator Peter Welch becomes the first senator to call for Biden to drop out.
July 11: Biden refers to Ukrainian President Zelensky as President Putin at a Nato event.
July 13: Trump is shot at a campaign rally by a wannabe assassin. His popularity and favorability rating soar after he was seen bloodied on stage but walked off with a fist in the air, telling the crowd to "fight!"
July 17: Rep Adam Schiff and a series of other Democrats call for Biden to step aside and even former President Barack Obama tells allies that Biden's path to victory has "greatly diminished." Biden tests positive for Covid-19 hours later, after saying he would consider ending his bid if he were diagnosed with "some medical issue."
July 19: Biden insists he will continue campaigning in his first statement since Obama's U-turn - despite reports that he would decide to drop out by the weekend.
July 21: Just before 2 pm, Biden announces he is stepping aside in the 2024 election and endorses VP Kamala Harris.
Former Trump White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders also chimed in , "Not fit to run for president, not fit to serve as president. Biden should resign immediately."
Representative Tom Tiffany agreed in , "If you are unfit to stand trial. If you are unfit to run for re-election. Then you are unfit to be president of the United States. Biden must resign."
Some have taken issue with the Biden administration as a whole, also criticizing Vice President Kamala Harris.
Governor of , Glenn Youngkin, said: "Make no mistake, whether it’s border czar Kamala Harris or someone else, it’s the Biden/Harris Adminstration’s weak leadership and resulting chaos around the world and here at home that is on the ballot this November.
"It’s time for our nation to now come together with resolve to secure our borders, structure safe communities, grow an economy that lifts up all Americans and restores peace through strength."
Despite the calls to resign, Biden has said he intends to serve the remainder of his full term.
TRUMP'S REACTION
Republican opponent quickly reacted to the news of Biden's decision, telling CNN in a phone call that Biden is "the worst president in the history of our country."
He also insisted that Harris will "be easier to defeat."
Trump's campaign has also been peddling the idea that Biden should resign immediately from his position as president.
"While we are rightly considering the implications of the Democrats internal chaos, the real story is the implication that someone is too unhealthy to run but not too unhealthy to serve. That’s absurd," Trump campaign spokesman, Brian Hughes, said in a statement earlier this week.
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Donald Trump was declared the official Republican presidential nominee on Thursday.
The decision was announced at the Republican National Convention, where Trump was seen looking emotional after the votes were announced.
The nomination came just days after an assassination attempt on the 45th president at a rally in Butler, .
SHOCK WITHDRAWAL
announced his decision to withdraw from the race just before 2 pm EST on Sunday, which also happened to be National Ice Cream day.
The president reportedly told his senior team that he changed his mind about staying in the race at 1:45 pm.
Possible replacements for the Democratic presidential candidate
Several names have been floated for who will replace Joe Biden now that he has sensationally dropped out of the 2024 race.
- Kamala Harris: Biden has endorsed his Vice President and many have deemed her the natural successor, however, she has low approval ratings
- Gavin Newsom: California's governor, who has been a staunch supporter of President Biden
- Gretchen Whitmer: Current Michigan governor who labeled herself a "progressive" Democrat
- Hillary Clinton: Former Secretary of State and failed 2016 presidential candidate. She initially denied rumors and stated she backs Biden
- J.B. Pritzker: Governor of Illinois and cofounder of the Pritzker Group, a private investment firm
- Josh Shapiro: Governor of Pennsylvania and former attorney general for the state
Shortly after his decision was announced, Biden publicly endorsed Harris to become the 2024 Democratic nominee.
"Democrats - it's time to come together and beat Trump," Biden said in the statement. "Let's do this."
The decision came after weeks of pressure from within the Democratic Party.
Concern had grown following the president's disastrous performance during the first presidential debate, where his cognitive decline was highlighted.
Top leaders in the House and Senate, celebrities, and dozens of former members of the Obama and Clinton administrations actively called on Biden to step away from the election.
While both former presidents and publicly stood by Biden and his past decision to pursue re-election, reports indicated that leadership wasn't convinced he could win.
Obama reportedly told allies that in the weeks after the debate, Biden's path to victory was "greatly diminished," according to .
What happens next as Joe Biden drops out of the 2024 race?
President Biden has finally heeded calls to drop his bid for re-election, throwing the 2024 election into chaos. He has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris but naming a new Democratic nominee won't be a simple process. Here's what's next after Biden's stunning announcement.
Biden secured nearly 4,000 delegates by winning state caucuses and primaries earlier this year. He was set to officially be named the Democratic nominee at a virtual vote ahead of the Democratic National Convention, which begins on August 19.
Democratic party rules don't allow Biden to simply pass his 3,896 delegates to Harris or another candidate.
Harris will now have to convince those nearly 4,000 delegates and 700 superdelegates to support her and name her nominee.
However, delegates are free agents who can choose to support whichever candidate they want - likely without input from voters at this stage since primaries and caucuses were already held.
All eyes are now on the previously planned virtual vote - where the Democratic party could choose a nominee before the DNC begins.
Biden's endorsement of Harris will likely sway delegates and no one has publicly challenged her as a candidate - but delegates are not required to back her. Even if the virtual vote isn't held, the party could still choose Harris or another candidate before the convention.
If Democrats don't name their nominee before the DNC, it'll be the first open and contested convention since 1968.
He reportedly said that his former vice president needed to "seriously consider the viability of his candidacy."
While Obama reportedly said Biden had done a great job for the country and as president, the former president wanted to protect his accomplishments, per The Washington Post.
WHO WILL FACE OFF?
While Biden is publicly supporting Harris, the vice president may have to fight for the Democratic nomination in the coming weeks.
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As of Sunday evening, no other candidates had officially thrown their hat in the ring.
However, some other names have been floated to replace Biden on the November ticket including:
- California Governor Gavin Newsom
- Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer
- Former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton
- Governor of Illinois J.B. Pritzker
- Governor of Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro
- Minnesota Representative Dean Phillips
- West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin
Harris has thanked the president for his endorsement and vowed to win the nomination at the Democratic National Convention in next month.
"I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic party - and our nation - to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda," she said in a statement.
Biden Bows Out, Endorses Harris for 2024
Just hours after the president withdrew his campaign, Harris launched hers.
Photos shared to social media revealed fundraising texts have already been sent to voters, asking for donations of $20.
Additionally, reports have that the vice president has already absorbed Biden's massive $96 million campaign fund.
Harris has also started to gather support from top Democrats including Newsom, the Clintons, and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
Obama noticeably did not endorse the vice president in his statement on Biden's withdraw from the race.
Instead, the former president said, "We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges."
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In order to secure the nomination, Harris -- or any other candidate -- must convince nearly 4,000 delegates and 700 superdelegates to support her and name her nominee at the convention.
While Biden's endorsement may sway some of the decisions, delegates are free to support any candidate they chose.
Joe Biden's full letter announcing his withdrawal from campaign
On Sunday, July 21, 2024, 46th US president Joe Biden posted a letter X, formerly known as Twitter, announcing he's stepping down from the 2024 presidential race.
My Fellow Americans,
Over the past three and a half years, we have made great progress as a Nation.
Today, America has the strongest economy in the world. We've made historic investments in rebuilding our Nation, in lowering prescription drug costs for seniors, and in expanding affordable health care to a record number of Americans. We've provided critically needed care to a million veterans exposed to toxic substances. Passed the first gun safety law in 30 years. Appointed the first African American woman to the Supreme Court. And passed the most significant climate legislation in the history of the world. America has never been better positioned to lead than we are today.
I know none of this could have been done without you, the American people. Together, we overcame a once in a century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We've protected and preserved our Democracy. And we've revitalized and strengthened our alliances around the world.
It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.
I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision.
For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me reelected. I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me.
I believe today what I always have: that there is nothing America can't do - when we do it together.
We just have to remember we are the United States of America
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