US President Joe Biden Dropped Out. What Happens Next?

Donald Trump said he believed Mr. Biden was pressured out of the race.  US President Joe Biden is leaving the 2024 presidential race after a disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump that led to questions from Democrats about his age, ability to carry out his campaign and whether he could serve and survive a second term.  Biden said in a statement posted Sunday that he will “stand down.”  “It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” he wrote, in part, in a letter posted on X. “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,” he added.  First lady Jill Biden reposted her husband’s post announcing he’s dropping out with a hearts emoji.  In another post on X, Biden gave his “full support and endorsement” for Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic Party’s nominee. “Now that Joe Biden has, not surprisingly, quit the race, I think the September 10th Debate, with whoever the Radical Left Democrats choose, should be held on Fox News, rather than very biased ABC,” Trump wrote.

Former President Donald Trump swiftly reacted to President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 election, saying his former opponent was “not fit to run.”  Trump issued his statement on Truth Social, writing, “Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve – And never was!”  He continued, “All those around him, including his Doctor and the Media, knew that he wasn’t capable of being President, and he wasn’t.”  Trump went on to bring up some of his regular campaign talking points, slamming Biden over the border before adding, “We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has done very quickly. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote on X, “At this unprecedented juncture in American history, we must be clear about what just happened. The Democrat Party forced the Democrat nominee off the ballot, just over 100 days before the election.” He also called for Biden to resign.  “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,” Johnson posted on X.  Sen. Josh Hawley quickly reacted to the Biden news, calling for the president to step down. “Then RESIGN your office. If you can’t run a mere political campaign, you can’t be President,” he wrote in response to Biden’s statement.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement, reacting to Biden’s announcement, “For four years, the American people have faced historic inflation at home, chaos at the border, and weak leadership on the world stage. Our nation is less prosperous and less secure than it was in January, 2021. “Unfortunately, the Democratic Party has been busy in recent weeks trying to upend the expressed will of the American people in primary elections across the country. Washington Democrats have not proven themselves any more capable than the President of delivering the secure borders, safe streets, and stable prices that working families deserve. They are selling open borders, higher prices, climate radicalism, and soft-on-crime policies, and the American people are not buying,” McConnell’s statement concluded.

In other US news: American Wall Street Journal writer Evan Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in prison for spying and espionage in Russia.  The press rights group ‘Reporters Without Borders’ compared the sentence to “hostage-taking” and called for Gershkovich’s immediate release.  The UN said the conviction “raises serious concerns about his right to freedom of expression as a journalist.”  US President Joe Biden said in a statement “We have worked tirelessly for Evan’s release and will continue to do so.”  His predecessor and rival in the presidential election, Donald Trump, said “Biden will never release him unless he pays a ‘ransom’,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. “I will get him out without compensation immediately after our victory on November 5th,” he said.