By Burnett Munthali
In a surprising turn of events, President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race was communicated to his senior campaign and White House team shortly before the public announcement, according to a senior White House official.
The official revealed that Biden had been contemplating this decision over the past few days. The news of his withdrawal came as a shock to many staff members across both the White House and the presidential campaign. Multiple staffers reported learning of the decision in real-time when Biden posted the letter on X (formerly Twitter) at 1:46 p.m. ET.
The announcement was kept under tight wraps, with even senior aides being informed only minutes before the post went live. An all-staff call is scheduled for later on Sunday to address the development and discuss the implications for the campaign. Despite Biden’s departure from the presidential race, efforts to support down-ballot Democratic candidates will continue.
This unexpected development has left many within the Biden campaign and the Democratic National Committee scrambling to adjust to the sudden change in the political landscape.
