Joe Biden endorses Kamala Harris after dropping out of 2024 race: Live updates

Representative Nancy Pelosi, after reportedly telling President Joe Biden he can’t win in November, praised his leadership after dropping out of the 2024 race.

“President Joe Biden is a patriotic American who has always put our country first,” Pelosi said. “His legacy of vision, values and leadership make him one of the most consequential Presidents in American history.”

Earlier this week, CNN reported that the senior Democrat told the president over the phone that polling indicates he could not beat Donald Trump come November.

“With love and gratitude to President Biden for always believing in the promise of America and giving people the opportunity to reach their fulfillment,” Pelosi continued. “God blessed America with Joe Biden’s greatness and goodness.”

Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison said the public will soon hear from leadership on the plan to name a new presidential candidate.

“The American people owe President Biden an enormous debt of gratitude for the unparalleled progress he has delivered over the last four years – and we will honor that legacy, and the decision that he has made today, through a firm commitment to nominating and electing a Democratic president this November who will carry that torch into the next four years,” Harrison wrote.

“The work that we must do now, while unprecedented, is clear. In the coming days, the Party will undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward as a united Democratic Party with a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump in November,” he continued. “This process will be governed by established rules and procedures of the Party. Our delegates are prepared to take seriously their responsibility in swiftly delivering a candidate to the American people.”

“Democrats are prepared and united in our resolve to win in November. As we move forward to formally select our Party’s nominee, our values as Democrats remain the same – lowering costs, restoring freedom, protecting the rights of all people, and saving our democracy from the threat of dictatorship. We have and will continue to make this case to the American people.”

“In short order, the American people will hear from the Democratic Party on next steps and the path forward for the nomination process.”

Senator JD Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate, said just hours ago that Joe Biden should resign from the presidency if he drops out of the 2024 race.

“If Joe Biden ends his reelection campaign, how can he justify remaining President? Not running for reelection would be a clear admission that President Trump was right all along about Biden not being mentally fit enough to serve as Commander-in-Chief,” Vance said on X ahead of Biden’s announcement this afternoon.

Other GOP lawmakers, including Senator Josh Hawley and Senator Marsha Blackburn, made similar calls for Biden to resign today.

Republicans might try to throw a wrench in the gears, but there is nothing that is legally stopping states from switching out the nominee, who hasn’t even been named yet officially.

Inside the bogus right-wing plot to keep Biden on the ballot:

President Joe Biden encouraged Democrats to donate to Vice President Kamala Harris after endorsing her as the next presidential nominee.

The donation site reads, “Donate to Elect Kamala Harris.”

“My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made,” wrote President Joe Biden on X, shortly after announcing he would not run for reelection. “Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”

With the departure of Biden, Harris is now the party’s presumptive nominee (although others may throw their hats in the ring) and this year’s presidential election has been turned upside down.

Frank Biden, Joe Biden’s youngest brother, gave ABC News insight into the president’s announcement.

The president’s brother said the decision “boils down” to his “overall health and vitality.” Frank Biden also said the president was concerned about “beating this genuine threat to our nation in the form of Donald Trump.”

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, called for President Joe Biden to resign from his office after leaving the race.

“If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President,” Johnson said. “He must resign the office immediately. November 5 cannot arrive soon enough.”

The speaker said Democrats “forced” Biden off the ballot.

“The Democrat Party forced the Democrat nominee off the ballot, just over 100 days before the election,” he continued. “Having invalidated the votes of more than 14 million Americans who selected Joe Biden to be the Democrat nominee for president, the self-proclaimed ‘party of democracy’ has proven exactly the opposite.”

37 Democratic and Independent lawmakers publicly called for Biden to step down ahead of his announcement this afternoon.

Trump reacts to Biden 2024 exit, calling him ‘worst president’ and claims Harris will be easier to beat

After Joe Biden announced on Sunday he will bow out of the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump claimed the Democrat will go “down as the single worst president by far in the history of our country” in an interview with CNN.

Trump also took to Truth Social, saying Biden was “not fit to run for President.”

“We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has done very quickly,” Trump wrote.