Biden to speak Wednesday about ending his 2024 reelection campaign
President Biden announced that he would speak Wednesday evening from the Oval Office about his plans in his first remarks since he announced Sunday he was dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.
"Tomorrow evening at 8 PM ET, I will address the nation from the Oval Office on what lies ahead, and how I will finish the job for the American people," Mr. Biden posted on social media Tuesday.
Mr. Biden made the shocking announcement Sunday that he would end his reelection campaign and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris shortly afterward. In his initial letter, Mr. Biden said he would address the nation about his decision sometime this week. He has been in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, recovering from COVID since Thursday.
Mr. Biden's news about exiting the race has dominated headlines, but he has not yet spoken publicly about the decision. Many Democrats, including former President Barack Obama, praised his decision and gave lengthy tributes. Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, one of the campaign's co-chairs, said on CBS News shortly after the announcement that Mr. Biden's decision to withdraw from the race "reflects the very best of who Joe Biden is."
"As he was going through the excruciating loss of his beloved son Beau, it was in Rehoboth, in Wilmington, in prayer and surrounded by all who have loved and supported him for decades in Delaware that he found strength," Coons said. "As he was finding his way through the tragic loss of his wife and daughter back in 1972 that began his career in the Senate, it was in Delaware and it was in his faith that he found the grounding and the strength to be able to get back up and continue, and in every chapter in his life, in politics, in service, in his family and at home, he's been grounded. Joe Biden, more than anyone I've ever known, speaks to what is best in the American spirit."
Harris, meanwhile, has already begun campaigning. Neither Mr. Biden nor anyone else can appoint a successor for the Democratic nomination, but Harris has been working to secure delegates in time for the convention in Chicago, which kicks off on Aug. 19.
By Monday night, Harris had secured the backing of enough delegates to win the nomination in Chicago. She visited the campaign's headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, on Monday, where she was met with cheers and applause. She will be giving her first campaign speech in Milwaukee on Tuesday.
Her campaign also announced that it had raised $100 million since its launch on Sunday. A Democratic super PAC, Future Forward PAC, said Monday it had raised roughly $150 million in fundraising commitments since Mr. Biden's announcement. Mr. Biden's fundraising had lagged behind former President Donald Trump in the spring, with Trump's campaign reporting it raised $331 million between March and June, compared to $264 million raised by Mr. Biden's campaign.