Biden Steps Down
On Sunday, President Biden released a letter on social media explaining his intent to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race.
Source: Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
This decision comes after weeks of many prominent Democrat donors and lawmakers asking Biden to step down, as they worried he would not be able to defeat former President Donald Trump.
Biden’s Bad Debate
Calls for Biden to exit the presidential race have been occurring since Biden’s poor performance in a televised debate against Trump.
Source: Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
After this debate, some Democrats worried about Biden’s mental acuity. They also worried over some polls that showed him losing to Trump in battleground states.
Biden Endorses Harris
Immediately after releasing this letter revealing his desire to not seek reelection, Biden also sent out a post on X officially endorsing his Vice President, Kamala Harris, to take his place in the race.
Source: Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
Harris has already accepted this position and has stated that she will “earn and win” the Democratic nomination.
AOC Supports Biden
Throughout all of these many calls for Biden to step down, the president has had one somewhat unlikely ally: Ocasio-Cortez.
Source: nrkbeta/Wikimedia Commons
Ocasio-Cortez, considered one of the more progressive members of the House, has stood by Biden’s side and supported him against growing calls for him to exit the race.
AOC Warned the Public
Only a few days ago, Ocasio-Cortez took to Instagram Live to warn the general public about what she stated she was seeing behind closed doors.
Source: Dimitri Rodriguez/Wikimedia Commons
The House Democrat explained that the people who wanted Biden off the ticket also didn’t want Harris to run as president.
Enormous Peril
Ocasio-Cortez further warned that there would be “enormous peril” that would occur if Biden indeed was pushed out of the presidential race.
Source: René DeAnda/Unsplash
“I have not seen an alternative scenario that I feel will not set us up for enormous peril,” she explained in her Instagram Live.
A Crazy Convention?
Ocasio-Cortez also explained that she thought the idea of an open Democratic convention — where candidates would try to compete for the nomination — was a “crazy” idea that wouldn’t work.
Source: Kelly Sikkema/Unsplash
So far, however, it appears this idea of an open convention won’t happen, as many have rallied behind Vice President Harris.
AOC Endorses Harris
Now that Biden has officially stepped down and will no longer be running for president, Ocasio-Cortez has changed her tune — and has already endorsed Harris.
Source: Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
On X, Ocasio-Cortez posted, “Kamala Harris will be the next President of the United States. I pledge my full support to ensure her victory in November. Now more than ever, it is crucial that our party and country swiftly unite to defeat Donald Trump and the threat to American democracy. Let’s get to work.”
Democrats Rally Around Harris
Since Biden endorsed Harris to take his place, many in the Democratic Party have rushed to rally around Harris as their new potential nominee.
Source: Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
Already, many major Democratic donors and lawmakers have voiced their public support for Harris. Ocasio-Cortez and many other progressive House members have also endorsed Harris, uniting all parts of the party.
Will Harris Face Opposition?
So far, no major opposition against Harris has appeared. However, analysts have warned that, now that Biden has dropped out last minute, other Democrats could throw their hat into the ring and try to get the nomination.
Source: Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
On Sunday, reporting suggested that Senator Joe Manchin would run against Harris. By Monday, Manchin had decided he would not go against the vice president.
Some Democrats Haven’t Backed Harris Yet
While Ocasio-Cortez almost immediately endorsed Harris — even though she had warned of this specific outcome not too long ago — many other major Democrats haven’t followed suit.
Source: Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
Perhaps most notably, former President Barack Obama hasn’t endorsed Harris yet. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also hasn’t officially backed Harris.