What happens next after Biden’s dramatic exit from White House race – from $240m war chest to convention showdown
PRESIDENT Biden’s unprecedented last-minute withdrawal from the 2024 election has left the Democratic party reeling.
Despite repeated calls for him to step down, Biden, 81, waited until what many have deemed the last minute to admit defeat.
And although plenty of Democrats will be relieved, the party has a mountain to climb ahead of the November polls if they hope to beat Donald Trump.
Not to mention a convention only weeks away where a nominee has to be selected and possible division among the ranks over who should be chosen.
High-profile members of Congress, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have already called on Biden to resign.
They say if he is unfit to run, he is unfit to hold his current position as Commander-in-Chief.
The choice of Biden’s replacement, for which he has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, 59, is set to be decided at the Democrat National Convention in August.
Although given the unusual circumstances, delegates may vote virtually before the convention starts on August 19.
US law states that the some 3,900 out of 4,000 Democratic delegates who backed Biden should now back his top choice – Harris.
But they are technically free to vote however they like and could choose a different candidate to select as the party’s nominee.
Other high-profile Democrats including Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer and Gavin Newsom have been touted as possible options.
Even Michelle Obama has been floated as a potential contender for beating Trump.
Brett Bruen, former aide to President Barack Obama, spoke to The Sun about what comes next.
It comes as…
- Biden admits stepping aside is “in the best interest” of the Democratic Party
- He immediately endorses Vice President Kamala Harris, who vows to “earn” the Democratic nomination
- Trump slams Biden as the “worst president in history” and says Kamala will be “easier to defeat”
- House Speaker Mike Johnson, GOP VP nominee JD Vance and other GOP call on Biden to resign if he’s “not fit to run”
- Expert warns Biden dropping out is bad news for Republicans
- Bill and Hillary Clinton endorse Harris but Barack Obama doesn’t
- Timeline reveals Biden’s failed re-election bid from debate disaster to Democrat betrayals
- Gavin Newsom tops list of names floated as possible replacements for Biden
Brett told The Sun that plenty of Democrats have “long predicted” and “expected” Biden’s withdrawal from the race.
He said: “I think it came down to both the weakness of Biden physically, and also the weakness of his argument for re-election.”
Despite Biden’s claims that he was the only viable option for beating Trump, Brett said Harris and other Democrats could “poll better and ultimately do better at the ballot box”.
He believes it’ll be Kamala Harris nominated at the convention in August: “I think without question, it will be Kamala Harris”.
Two reasons will propel her nomination, he tells us: “she stands to inherit the war chest that the Biden-Harris campaign had accumulated, and she is the Vice President”.
Biden’s team raked in an incredible $264 million this year and reportedly finished June with $240 million cash to splash.
The current President could choose to leave all the money to the Democratic party – which can then be used for the new candidate’s campaign.
But he cannot transfer it directly to said nominee, it would have to be refunded to the original donors and then sent back to the candidate instead.
However, if Harris is chosen, campaign finance law means she could share the funds with Biden because her name is already approved on the ticket.
Rob Flaherty, deputy manager on the Biden campaign, said replacing him with someone other than Harris would mean giving up those funds altogether.
He claims they would then be heading into an election in “the weakest possible position with zero dollars in their bank account”.
Brett told The Sun some $27 million was raised in just the first few hours of Harris’ campaign.
He thinks “there will be tens, even hundreds of millions contributed because there was a lot of money sitting on the sidelines”.
“There was money from, quite frankly, folks like me who gave last time and were not giving this time,” Brett said.
This could “erase much of the money momentum Trump has had”, he told The Sun.
Trump ignored advice to select a more moderate Vice President for his ticket with JD Vance, Brett tells us, and went “mega maga”.
He thinks the former President has “created an uphill battle for himself” and could lose to Kamala in November.
Brett said: “Biden’s weakness was in not being able to effectively articulate the case against Trump. Whereas Kamala brings not only new energy, but a prosecutor’s precision.
“We’ve been through a pretty traumatic several weeks after that debate on June 27th. And there is, I think, a prevailing preference for returning to regular order and getting behind a candidate.”
If someone else hopes to sweep Harris and secure a spot as the Democratic nominee, they would have to win the signatures of 600 delegates.
Then they would go up against Harris in a Primary-style debate to get a majority share of votes from some 4,000 party delegates.
If several different candidates secure a nomination but none get a majority – a “brokered convention” would take place.
Meaning delegates can vote for anyone who puts their name forward in as many rounds of voting as it takes to secure a candidate.
The last time this happened was in 1952.
Harris’ campaign officials have already made hundreds of calls on Sunday to secure the support of fellow Democrats on her bid for the White House.
Sources said the calls began almost immediately after Biden’s shocking announcement.
Brett thinks the coming days will see more endorsements for Harris from prominent Democrats in the party.
He said: “While you heard even from my old boss, President Obama, that he wasn’t making an endorsement yet, I think that is really more of a formality.
“What will play out over the next few days is more endorsements. I think you saw already four states have pledged their delegates to Harris.
“Those will continue on Monday and throughout the week. You’ll have more Democrats joining in.”
Brett doesn’t think Biden should have to resign before the November election and hopes the nomination of Harris might cool the boiling US political tensions.
Comparing him to Trump, Brett said: “There isn’t, unlike in the case of former President Trump, any evidence apart from political propaganda to suggest Biden is making mistakes in the running of the country.
“He didn’t send a mob of people up to Capitol Hill. He didn’t try to insert himself into the Justice Department’s cases against him or his political friends. There’s nothing here that’s impeachable.
“He deserves to serve out the remainder of his term. I think ultimately he’ll go down in history as a transition president from what was a pretty traumatic time under Trump to hopefully returning America to a place of more stability.
“I would say we’re heading back to less tumultuous times because you now have the president stepping aside and you’re going to see, I think, from Vice President Harris a pretty traditional campaign.”
But he warned: “the conditions in American politics are such right now that they’re very combustible and you only need a small spark to set off a major conflagration”.
JOE BIDEN'S STATEMENT IN FULL
US President Joe Biden has announced that he is no longer seeking re-election.
Here is his statement in full:
“My Fellow Americans, over the past three-and-a-half years, we have made great progress as a nation.
“Today, America has the strongest economy in the world. We’ve made historic investments in rebuilding our nation, in lowering prescription drug costs for seniors, and in expanding affordable health care to a record number of Americans.
“We’ve provided critically needed care to a million veterans exposed to toxic substances. Passed the first gun safety law in 30 years. Appointed the first African American woman to the Supreme Court. And passed the most significant climate legislation in the history of the world.
“America has never been better positioned to lead than we are today.
“I know none of this could have been done without you, the American people. Together, we overcame a once in a century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We’ve protected and preserved our democracy. And we’ve revitalised and strengthened our alliances around the world.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek re-election, 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.
“I will speak to the nation later this week in more detail about my decision.
“For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me re-elected.
“I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me.
“I believe today what I always have: that there is nothing America can’t do – when we do it together. We just have to remember we are the United States of America.”