On a Sunday a month away from the Democratic National Convention, President Joe Biden made an announcement that left America holding its breath in anticipation.
Biden withdrew from the race July 21 following criticism from party allies concerning his turbulent second campaign for the presidency. Though Biden will carry out the remainder of his current term, he endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination.
In the letter posted to X, Biden said his presidency was the “greatest honor” of his life before deciding it was in the “best interest” of the country and Democratic Party to renege his reelection bid, with intentions to address the nation “later this week.” Minutes after, he advocated on X that Harris inherit the nomination in his stead.
“Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this,” he wrote.
Almost immediately after Biden announced his intention to seek reelection in April 2023, both federal and state politicians across party lines questioned the 81-year-old’s mental and physical capability to cash in a second term of the presidency. His rocky performance during the June 27 presidential debate, including multiple bouts of sudden silence and unclear rebuttals against former President Donald Trump, spurred Democratic allies to desperately call for his withdrawal.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) was among multiple high-profile Democratic lawmakers who publicly called on Biden to step down, expressing “serious concerns” about his ability to quell a second Trump presidency, which he said would “undermine the very foundation of our democracy.”
Following three weeks of vehement insistence he would retain his status as nominee, Biden’s inner circle indicated he had become “more receptive” to his allies’ criticism following a COVID-19 diagnosis July 17.
Though Biden’s endorsement is likely to be influential, current party rules don’t allow him to directly pass his current delegates to Harris, which could allow the formation of competition for the nomination within party lines.
The Democratic National Convention (DNC), slated to begin Aug. 19, will encounter the uncharted territory of an open convention if states choose to refrain from pledging their delegates to Harris. In the event Harris is confirmed as the presidential nominee, a slew of democratic lawmakers could be tapped for the vice presidency, including U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) among others.
“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” Harris said in a media statement. “I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic party — and unite our nation — to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda.”
Trump, who has highly criticized Biden’s personal character and policies in office, wrote a statement on Truth Social alleging “Crooked Joe Biden” only won the presidency through “lies, Fake News, and not leaving his basement,” during which he allowed “millions of people” to cross the border “totally unchecked and unvetted, many from prisons, mental institutions, and record numbers of terrorists.”
The July 13 attempt on Trump’s life at a Pennsylvania rally, which he escaped without serious injury, led to a Republican social outcry in support of his campaign.
Despite its historic swing state status, Florida has progressively veered farther into red territory in recent years, and Trump won the state’s favor over Biden in 2020, leaving uncertainty about Harris’ 2024 popularity for the presidency.
“Kamala Harris was complicit in a massive coverup to hide and deny the fact that Joe Biden was not capable of discharging the duties of the office… Democrats are just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wrote on X.
However, Florida Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, said stepping down in favor of Harris was the most responsible move Biden could have made. Despite his “strong track record” and “policy wins,” she said Biden “was not in a position to communicate” his qualifications to the American people, especially as an alternative to Trump.
Harris is the candidate to do that, she said.
Despite the relief of Biden ending his public battle with allied democratic lawmakers, Dream for America National Organizing Director Nathaniel Pelton said choosing a new nominee “so late in the cycle” could straddle the line between a show of party unity and the cause of more division.
But the 20-year-old UF political science junior also expressed support for Harris as a strong candidate in tune to the needs of younger generations. Dream for America, one of 15 national Generation Z coalitions previously dedicated to Biden’s reelection campaign in opposition to Turning Point USA, will pivot their support to Harris leading the ticket as a “surrogate.”
“If she was elected she would be the first African American woman and the first Asian American president in U.S. history,” he said. “I think that now is a time more than ever for us to have that opportunity and finally put an end to the rise of fascism from the right.”
Florida 25th Congressional District DNC Delegate Charles Horowitz said although he never believed Biden to be unfit for office after working with him “close up,” he expressed trust in Biden to “know what is right for the American people.”
“I think that if he wanted to make this decision, then that is the right decision,” said the 21-year-old UF political science and classical studies senior.
Despite the possibility of an open convention, Horowitz said he will vote for Harris at the DNC aligning with Biden’s endorsement and looks “forward to working with her to defeat Donald Trump.”
Alachua County Republican Party Chairman Tim Marden was not shocked Biden chose to step down considering he has been in “decline for some time.”
“I'm only really surprised that it took his family this long to finally convince him to not seek reelection,” he said.
Though Biden’s exit from the race will likely do little to change Florida’s outcome, Alachua County Democratic Party Vice Chair J. Maggio said it will impact the election’s “dynamics.”
“We're so partisan that I don't think it really matters who runs from the top of the ticket anymore,” he said. “So it probably won't change the outcome very much, but it changes how the races run.”
The Democratic Party’s issue of age and capability will “go away” and could become an effective argument against 78-year-old Trump’s campaign, he said.
However, Maggio said Biden’s decision will have little impact on the Alachua County Democratic Party due to their primary focus on state and local issues, including four referendums on the November general election ballot pertaining to abortion, marijuana, the restoration of at-large districts and Gainesville Regional Utilities.
Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward, who has expressed public support for Biden’s campaign, said his “heart is broken” following the decision though he will ultimately support Harris if she is officially nominated at the DNC.
UF College Democrats President Connor Effrain was 20 minutes from the U.S. Capitol when Biden’s withdrawal hit mainstream news. Biden’s choice to drop out was expected following pressure from party allies, which he said leaves Harris as the “obvious” choice for the next democratic nominee.
“Donald Trump is an unprecedented threat to 248 years of American democracy,” he said. “Defeating him should be the top priority of the Democratic Party.”
The 20-year-old UF history junior said his opinion of Biden stemmed from his success in national polls, and if that support were to sway in favor of another candidate, he would switch his vote to raise the chances of a Democratic win.
“This election is going to be the most important election in my lifetime,” he said. “This election, to me, is a turning point in American history.”
Contact Rylan DiGiacomo-Rapp and Morgan Vanderlaan at rdigiacomo-rapp@alligator.org and mvanderlaan@alligator.org. Follow them on X @rylan_digirapp and @morgvande.
Morgan Vanderlaan is a second year Political Science major and the Fall 2024 Politics Enterprise Reporter. When she's not on the clock she can be found writing, reciting, and watching theatre!
Rylan DiGiacomo-Rapp is a third year journalism and environmental science major and the Fall 2024 Enterprise Environmental Reporter. Outside of the newsroom, you can usually find her haunting local music venues.
