- United States President Joe Biden says in a letter on X he is stepping aside as a candidate in the 2024 election, endorses Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.
- Dozens of congressional Democrats had publicly urged the 81-year-old to drop out of the race after his shaky debate performance last month against Republican challenger Donald Trump, 78.
- Biden, who had previously dismissed the calls to abandon his re-election bid, says he plans to serve out the remainder of his term in office.
- Trump reacted to the news of Biden dropping out by saying the Democrat “was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve”.
Bernie Sanders lauds Biden
The progressive US senator heaped praise on the Democratic president, highlighting Biden’s support for auto workers who had gone on strike last year.
“Joe Biden has served our country with honor and dignity,” Bernie Sanders wrote in a social media post.
Despite disagreements over Biden’s unwavering support for Israel, Sanders had emerged as one of the president’s most vocal defenders in recent weeks.
Trump super PAC releases first attack ad against Harris
“Kamala Harris was in on it,” the ad says, accusing the vice president of being involved in an effort to cover up Joe Biden’s fitness to serve.
Make America Great Again Inc, the top super PAC supporting Trump, released the ad just minutes after Biden announced he would not run for re-election and endorsed Harris.
The ad further attempts to connect Harris to Biden’s policies on the economy and immigration, saying that she “owns this failed record”.
Super PACs (political action committees) operate independently of the campaigns they back.
Trump campaign alleges Harris covered up for Biden to conceal health issues
The Republican candidate’s campaign has been accusing Harris of lying and covering up for Biden to conceal his health issues.
“But after President Trump’s debate, there was no more hiding it,” campaign adviser Jason Miller said in a post retweeted by Trump’s campaign account on X. Miller referred to Trump as the president, rather than Biden.
Last month, 81-year-old Biden seemed to lose his train of thought during the debate at the CNN headquarters in Atlanta.
Miller also suggested Kevin O’Connor, the president’s physician, should be questioned on the matter.
Biden’s pro-Israel presidency
A self-proclaimed Zionist, Joe Biden has been a staunch defender of Israel throughout his decades-long political career.
As president, he pushed on with Washington’s unconditional support for Israel and put the US in further alignment with its Middle East ally despite growing international outrage over Israeli atrocities in Gaza.
Here are some of Biden’s pro-Israel policies:
- Sticking by Donald Trump’s agenda: The US president kept the US embassy in Jerusalem and refused to reverse Washington’s recognition of Israel’s claimed sovereignty over Syria’s occupied Golan Heights. He also pushed on with efforts to establish formal relations between Israel and Arab states independently of the Palestinian question.
- Netanyahu “bear hug” amid Gaza war: Shortly after the outbreak of the war in Gaza last year, Biden voiced unwavering backing for Israel. He put that support on full display when he visited Israel and embraced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in October 2023.
- Questioning Palestinian death toll: Biden sparked outrage last year when he raised doubt over the number of Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks. “I have no notion that the Palestinians are telling the truth about how many people are killed. I’m sure innocents have been killed, and it’s the price of waging a war,” he said at that time.
- Vetoing ceasefire resolutions: The US has blocked three proposals at the UN Security Council that would have called for the end of the war. The Biden administration also voted against similar measures at the UN General Assembly.
- Weapons and aid to Israel: The US has steadily transferred bombs and arms to Israel during the conflict, with Biden and his top aides stressing that their commitments to the country’s security are “ironclad”. In April, Biden signed off on $14bn in additional military assistance to Israel.
- Rebuking ICC: The White House slammed International Court of Justice prosecutors for pursuing an arrest warrant against Netanyahu over possible war crimes. “The ICC prosecutor’s application for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is outrageous,” Biden said in a statement in May.
Who is Kamala Harris?
Harris, 59, came up in law enforcement, regularly making history as she became the district attorney of San Francisco, California’s attorney general, a senator, and then vice president.
As a prosecutor, Harris styled herself as a reformer, but she has faced criticism from the Democratic Party’s progressive wing for some of her policies.
As a senator, Harris gained notoriety for aggressive questioning style, particularly during the confirmation of then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
Biden’s selection of Harris, the daughter of an Indian-born mother and Jamaican-born father, as vice president made her the first Black person or woman to hold the role.
