Tectonic change: Biden drops out of the 2024 US Presidential Election, endorses Kamala Harris

US President Joe Biden exited the 2024 presidential race on Sunday, ending his struggling campaign for a second term. Declaring his intentions to opt out, he endorsed Indian-origin Kamala Harris to be the Democratic candidate against Donald Trump.

“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," wrote Biden in a posted letter on his X account.

Biden has been quarantining at his Delaware beach home after testing positive for COVID-19 last week, spending time with close advisors and family. He mentioned he would address the nation later this week to explain his decision in more detail. The White House has confirmed the authenticity of the letter.

Biden endorses Kamala Harris

With the sitting President's endorsement, Kamala has instantly transformed into the leading candidate for the Democratic nomination at the August convention in Chicago. If Biden's endorsement goes through, Kamala Harris will become the first Indian-origin woman to contest the US presidential elections.

"Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats - it's time to come together and beat Trump. Let's do this," Biden said in a post on X.

Harris was quick to praise and thank President Biden for his service. "With this selfless and patriotic act, President Biden is doing what he has done throughout his life of service: putting the American people and our country above everything else. I am honored to have the president's endorsement," she said in a statement.

Kamala Harris, a former prosecutor and US senator from California, was born on October 20, 1964, in Oakland, California. From a background rooted in civil rights activism, she pursued a career in prosecution and later held significant roles as San Francisco district attorney and California’s attorney general. Her association with Barack Obama began during his presidential campaign, leading to his endorsement in her 2010 race for attorney general.

Harris' political stance, notably on the death penalty and same-sex marriage, faced scrutiny during her 2019 presidential bid, which concluded before the Iowa caucuses. Her political career took off with a successful run for San Francisco district attorney, leading to become California’s attorney general. Harris’ positions on the death penalty and same-sex marriage have drawn criticism, especially highlighted during her 2019 presidential campaign, which ended before the Iowa caucuses.

An expected turn of events

Biden's decision follows a challenging debate with Donald Trump in June that brought his capabilities into question just months before the election. Over the last three weeks, dozens of democrats, including senators, congressmen, donors, celebrities, and the party functionaries have been mounting pressure on Biden to withdraw.

During the debate, the 81-year-old president struggled to maintain coherence, offered confusing answers, and failed to challenge Trump's inaccuracies. Biden intends to fulfill the remainder of his term, which ends on January 20, 2025, at noon ET.

This development is the latest twist in an already highly consequential race for the White House, coming shortly after a failed attempt to assassinate Trump at a Pennsylvania rally. It's unprecedented for a presumptive presidential nominee to withdraw so close to the election. The closest historical comparison is President Lyndon Johnson, who, amid the Vietnam War, announced in March 1968 that he would not seek another term, writes the Associated Press.

After years of targeting Biden, now Trump will have to realign his plan of attack to target the new potential nominees even as democrats scramble to finalise the candidate. Biden had secured the majority of delegates and won nearly every primary contest, making his nomination almost assured.

Beyond age, Biden has been continuously facing the voters' ire despite maintaining a struggling economy on a steady coarse throughout the COVID-19 global pandemic and passing significant bipartisan legislation. His leadership faced low approval ratings, particularly concerning the economy and immigration.

Possibilities of Harris earning nomination

Harris, 59, appears to be the frontrunner, given she can directly access the Biden campaign’s funds under federal rules. While Biden's support aids Harris, an effortless transition isn't guaranteed. The Democratic National Convention is scheduled for August 19-22 in Chicago, though the party planned to conduct a virtual roll call to officially nominate Biden before the in-person events.

"My intention is to earn and win this nomination. I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party—and unite our nation—to defeat Donald Trump," said Kamala Harris after Biden dropped out of the race.

Even before President Biden announced his decision to opt out, Democrats were already floating names like California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as the potential replacement. Despite this, most party leaders seem to agree that elevating Vice President Kamala Harris would be the wise decision.

Some Democrats even argue that it would be a no-brainer to elevate Harris, who is the first woman, first Black woman, and first person of South Asian descent to hold national office of Vice President. However, her tenure as the Vice President has not been able to turn a majority of the voters who might still be on the fence, denting her prospects in key swing states.

(With inputs from agencies)