Political shockwaves were sent through the United States in a figurative sense on the afternoon of Sunday, July 22nd when the 46th President of the United States Joe Biden announced his intentions to suspend his re-election campaign in the upcoming 2024 general election. Biden, who announced he would not be resigning from his current office and would finish out the remainder of his term, has served in federal American politics for more than five decades. The president has faced significant political pressure over the last several weeks following a disastrous performance on the debate stage against the Republican nominee Donald Trump on June 27th. After saying for weeks that he would be remaining in the race, Biden succumbed to the pressure and announced his suspension while surrounded by close advisors and family members at his home in Delaware.
Biden endorsed his Vice President, Kamala Harris as his successor. Hillary Clinton also endorsed Kamala Harris, and many other Democrats have followed suit. The governors of Pennsylvania (Josh Shapiro), New Jersey (Phil Murphy), and California (Gavin Newsom) all have supported Harris. In the 24 hours since Biden announced his suspension, Harris has raised over $50 million in funds. Ultimately, it remains to be seen if any Democrats will challenge Harris for the nomination as the national convention approaches.
The current First Lady of the United States, Jill Biden showed support for her husband’s decision by taking to “X” (formerly known as Twitter) and reposting Bidens formal resignation letter, placing two hearts in a caption above. Bidens eldest granddaughter, Naomi also wrote on Twitter, saying she was proud of her “pop”. Naomi claimed that her grandfather was the most “impactful” public servant in American history. Hunter Biden, the son of the president, claimed that there was no “separation” or difference between Joe Biden’s rhetoric in public and private. As the Democratic convention approaches, there is a heightened degree of uncertainty in the party.
