BILL and Hillary Clinton have officially thrown their support behind Kamala Harris after Joe Biden announced that he was endorsing her as the Democratic nominee.
The pair issued a joint statement an hour after Biden suspended his campaign on Sunday.
In the statement, the Clintons said they “were honored” to join Biden in endorsing Harris.
“President Biden has capped his extraordinary career of service with a Presidency that has lifted America out of an unprecedented pandemic, created millions of new jobs, rebuilt a battered economy, strengthened our democracy, and restored our standing in the world,” they said in the statement posted on X.
“By any measure, he has advanced our founders’ charge to build a more perfect union and his own stated goal of restoring the soul of our nation.”
“We join millions of Americans in thanking President Biden for all he has accomplished, standing up for America time and again, with his North Star always being what’s best for the country.”
“We are honored to join the President in endorsing Vice President Harris and will do whatever we can to support her.”
The Clintons added that they have lived through many “ups and downs” but expressed their worry about what would happen if Donald Trump returns to the White House.
“Nothing has made us more worried for our country than the threat posed by a second Trump term,” the statement continued.
“He has promised to be a dictator on day one, and the recent ruling by his servile Supreme Court will only embolden him to further shred the Constitution.”
The statement concluded with a plea and a warning.
“Now is the time to support Kamala Harris and fight with everything we’ve got to elect her,” the Clintons wrote. “America’s future depends on it.”
HARRIS FOR PRESIDENT
The statement from the former president and secretary of state echos the letter from Biden announcing the end of his campaign.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” Biden wrote in his letter, which was posted on X.
“And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”
In a separate tweet sent minutes after the statement, the 81-year-old president endorsed Kamala Harris.
What happens next as Joe Biden drops out of the 2024 race?
President Biden has finally heeded calls to drop his bid for re-election, throwing the 2024 election into chaos. He has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris but naming a new Democratic nominee won't be a simple process. Here's what's next after Biden's stunning announcement.
Biden secured nearly 4,000 delegates by winning state caucuses and primaries earlier this year. He was set to officially be named the Democratic nominee at a virtual vote ahead of the Democratic National Convention, which begins on August 19.
Democratic party rules don’t allow Biden to simply pass his 3,896 delegates to Harris or another candidate.
Harris will now have to convince those nearly 4,000 delegates and 700 superdelegates to support her and name her nominee.
However, delegates are free agents who can choose to support whichever candidate they want – likely without input from voters at this stage since primaries and caucuses were already held.
All eyes are now on the previously planned virtual vote – where the Democratic party could choose a nominee before the DNC begins.
Biden’s endorsement of Harris will likely sway delegates and no one has publicly challenged her as a candidate – but delegates are not required to back her. Even if the virtual vote isn’t held, the party could still choose Harris or another candidate before the convention.
If Democrats don’t name their nominee before the DNC, it’ll be the first open and contested convention since 1968.
“My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden wrote.
“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.”
“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.”
Biden bowed out after weeks of pressure that began with a disastrous debate performance that raised fears over his health.
He is the first president to do so since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1969.
Biden is the first president in US history to pull out so late in an election race.
VP Kamala Harris' full statement as Biden drops out of 2024 race and endorses her
“On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country. His remarkable legacy of accomplishment is unmatched in modern American history, surpassing the legacy of many Presidents who have served two terms in office.
“It is a profound honor to serve as his Vice President, and I am deeply grateful to the President, Dr. Biden, and the entire Biden family. I first came to know President Biden through his son Beau. We were friends from our days working together as Attorneys General of our home states. As we worked together, Beau would tell me stories about his Dad. The kind of father—and the kind of man—he was. And the qualities Beau revered in his father are the same qualities, the same values, I have seen every single day in Joe’s leadership as President: His honesty and integrity. His big heart and commitment to his faith and his family. And his love of our country and the American people.
“With this selfless and patriotic act, President Biden is doing what he has done throughout his life of service: putting the American people and our country above everything else.
“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination. Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election. And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead. I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party—and unite our nation—to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda.
“We have 107 days until Election Day. Together, we will fight. And together, we will win.”