Democrat politicians lavished President Biden with praise and predictions of a great legacy following his announcement that he is ending his re-election bid just months before the November election.
“President Biden has been an extraordinary, history-making president — a leader who has fought hard for working people and delivered astonishing results for all Americans. He will go down in history as one of the most impactful and selfless presidents. Thank you, @JoeBiden,” Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., wrote on X just minutes following the revelation.
President Biden, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Jennifer Lynn Siebel Newsom wave to the crowd as they campaign during the special election to recall the governor on Sept. 13, 2021, in Long Beach, California. (David McNew/Getty Images)
Newsom has been speculated as a potential Democratic candidate for president in 2024 for roughly a year, despite his own dismissals of the idea on several occasions. He has been one of Biden’s most high-profile surrogates on the campaign trail, continuing to promote Biden even after his poor debate performance last month.
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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement, “Joe Biden has not only been a great president and a great legislative leader, but he is a truly amazing human being. His decision of course was not easy, but he once again put his country, his party, and our future first.”
“Joe, today shows you are a true patriot and great American,” he added.
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President Biden speaks at a news conference on the final day of the NATO summit in Washington, July 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
Schumer had been made aware of the decision of vulnerable Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., to call on Biden to drop last week and told him to do what he thought was best, a source with knowledge told Fox News Digital.
Another Democrat whose name has been the subject of presidential speculation, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, was also among the first to react. “President Biden is a great public servant who knows better than anyone what it takes to defeat Donald Trump. His remarkable work to lower prescription drug costs, fix the damn roads, bring supply chains home, address climate change, and ensure America’s global leadership over decades will go down in history,” she said on X.
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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks at the SelectUSA Investment Summit on May 4, 2023, in Oxon Hill, Maryland. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
“My job in this election will remain the same: doing everything I can to elect Democrats and stop Donald Trump, a convicted felon whose agenda of raising families’ costs, banning abortion nationwide, and abusing the power of the White House to settle his own scores is completely wrong for Michigan,” Whitmer wrote.
Biden made the announcement of his campaign suspension in a Sunday afternoon letter, which he posted to X.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president,” the president wrote. “While it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interests of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.”
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., praised him as well, claiming he “always put country first.”
“Now the Democratic Party must unite behind a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump and keep America moving in the right direction. I will do everything in my power to help that effort,” he said.
“In less than one term, he rescued the nation from a once-in-a-century pandemic, brought the economy roaring back from the brink of recession, enacted consequential legislation for everyday Americans and saved our democracy by defeating the Insurrectionist-in-Chief,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., remarked in his own statement.
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His decision comes just weeks after his debate against Trump, during which his performance was widely criticized. In the days following, a total of 37 congressional Democrats and those who caucus with them had pushed Biden to step aside.
Following the announcement, Biden made a second post, endorsing his vice president, Kamala Harris, as the Democratic nominee for president.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.