President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race in odd fashion Sunday.
The president didn’t do so via a news conference or during a media interview. Instead, he merely published a post on X, with little additional information.
This caused great concern for the president’s well-being. The country hadn’t seen Biden since he was diagnosed with COVID on Wednesday.
Conspiracy theories began to mount. Some began to wonder if Biden’s health had taken a turn for the worse — after all, the 81-year-old president’s age puts him in the high-risk category for COVID and numerous other diseases.
According to Chief Campaign Correspondent Nikki Schwab of the U.K.’s Daily Mail, Biden did manage to break his silence, somewhat quelling doubts about his well-being via a call to Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign headquarters.
Notably, no pictures or live video of Biden accompanied the phone call.
“I’m watching you kid,” Biden said as campaign staffers listened.
According to Schwab, Biden’s voice sounded scratchy, likely due to the COVID virus.
“I know yesterday’s news is surprising and hard for you to hear, but it was the right thing to do,” Biden said.
Do you believe Joe Biden will recover from his current illness?
“I know it’s hard because you poured your heart and soul into me, to help us win this thing, help me get this nomination, help me win the nomination and then go on to win the presidency.”
When the call ended, Harris went back to hastily throwing together her campaign.
Her headquarters’ walls currently hold a mix of “Biden-Harris” and “Harris for President” campaign signs.
“I know it’s been a roller coaster, and we’re all filled with so many mixed emotions about this,” Harris said to staffers following the call.
“I just have to say, I love Joe Biden. I love Joe Biden, and I know we all do, and we have so many darn good reasons for loving Joe Biden.”
“It is my intention to go out and earn this nomination and to win.”
According to a Monday report from The Wall Street Journal, Harris has locked in over half of the delegates she needs to win the Democratic nomination for November’s presidential race.
The Democratic National Convention, scheduled to begin on Aug. 19 in Chicago, will likely now include a process for choosing a new presidential candidate.
Journalist Mark Halperin explained as much to Newsmax.
NEW — “According to my sources, President Biden agreed to step down as the Democratic nominee. It will happen as early as this weekend…”
– Mark Halperin on Newsmax just now pic.twitter.com/89vkN7VV0Q
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 18, 2024
According to Halperin, the process will include other potential candidates vying for the nomination.
