WASHINGTON — Democratic lawmakers praised President Joe Biden’s support historic decision on Sunday to not seek re-election, praising him for putting his country and his party above himself. Republicans called on him to resign, saying that if he could not run for another term, office, he could not serve as president.
Biden’s announcement came after Democrats had been urging him to withdraw from the race for more than two weeks. Nearly three dozen lawmakers had publicly called on him to end his reelection bid. Others had privately expressed concerns about the consequences for Democrats in lower positions if he stayed in the race. When the president heeded those concerns, Democrats called it a selfless move.
“Joe Biden is not only a great president and a great legislative leader, but he is also a truly great human being. His decision was not easy, of course, but he once again put his country, his party, and our future first,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement.
Republicans have seized on Biden’s poor debate performance last month to lambast him as someone unfit to serve another four years. Now that he is no longer running for president, many have said he should resign from office as well.
“If Joe Biden is not fit to run for president, he is not fit to serve as president. He must leave office immediately. November 5 cannot come soon enough,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement.
“If the Democratic Party has deemed Joe Biden unfit to run for re-election, he is certainly unfit to control our nuclear codes. Biden must resign immediately,” tweeted Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn.
Biden’s former chief of staff, Ron Klain, called on Democrats to quickly unite around Vice President Kamala Harris as Biden’s natural successor. On social media, he said, “It’s time to end the political fantasy games and unite behind the only veteran of a national campaign.”
“Let’s be realistic and win in November,” Klain said.
But many Democrats made no mention of Harris in their initial statements. Some are calling for an open process in selecting the next Democratic presidential nominee.
Schumer and Sen. Dick Durbin, the top two Democrats in the Senate, have not endorsed Harris.
“Now the Democratic Party must unite behind a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump and move America in the right direction. I will do everything in my power to support that effort,” Durbin said.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas, the first House Democrat to call on Biden to resign, said, “President Biden is standing up for America again, putting country before ego in a way that Donald Trump never could.” He said that while Harris is clearly the leading candidate to replace Biden, “we need to be open to all talented individuals who want to be considered.”
Many Democrats quickly rallied behind Harris.
The leaders of two of the largest House Democratic factions, Reps. Pramila Jayapal, chair of the left-leaning Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Annie Kuster, chair of the moderate New Democrat Coalition, endorsed Harris on Sunday afternoon. The endorsements were part of an effort by congressional Democrats to quickly rally behind a nominee and try to put behind them weeks of intraparty tension that marked the aftermath of the June 27 debate.
“Millions of Americans voted for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the primaries. Vice President Harris has proven time and again that she can prosecute Donald Trump and campaign vigorously for Democrats at the ballot box,” Jayapal said in a statement.
The Congressional Black Caucus, through its political action committee, also endorsed Harris as the next Democratic nominee. The Black caucus had backed Biden since last month’s debate, even as many other Democrats called for him to step aside.
Several Democratic senators individually endorsed Harris, including Patty Murray of Washington, Mark Warner of Virginia, Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Mazie Hirono of Hawaii.
Reactions to Biden’s announcement resonated across the country and around the world.
Former President Barack Obama saluted his vice president of eight years.
“Joe Biden has been one of America’s most influential presidents, and a dear friend and partner to me. Today, we were reminded — yet again — that he is a patriot of the highest order,” Obama said.
Internationally, Israeli President Isaac Herzog offered Biden “sincere gratitude” for his support of the Israeli people throughout his long career. Herzog wrote on social media that Biden was the first US president to visit Israel during a time of war, following the October 7 Hamas attack, and called Biden a “symbol of the unbreakable bond between our two peoples.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese thanked Biden for his leadership and said the alliance between their two countries “has never been stronger.”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk acknowledged the difficult decision Biden had to make, saying: “Poland, America and the world are safer and democracy is stronger” thanks to the US president.
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Associated Press staffers Farnoush Amiri, Darlene Superville and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.