Biden-Withdrawal crashes Heils Midday Meal in Washington
German politicians react easefully to Biden's withdrawal. Can Trump be stopped? German Labor Minister Heil gains first insights in Washington - between salad and democratic campaigners.
German politicians are following the dramatic days of the US election campaign with astonishment. The reactions to Joe Biden's decision to withdraw from the presidential race again show relief. But can the US Democrats still turn the campaign around and prevent Donald Trump from being re-elected?
From Germany, there were first and foremost expressions of respect. Chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote on Twitter that Biden's decision to not run again deserved "recognition". Green Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck paid "deep respect", CDU leader Friedrich Merz "great respect". Justice Minister Marco Buschmann praised an "exceptional personality".
Meanwhile, Labor Minister Hubertus Heil was experiencing a surprising development: He was having lunch near the White House with Democratic campaigners when the news of Biden's step spread through their phones. Heil said in Washington: "The news of Biden's decision has historical significance." For Germany and Europe, it was important that the race for the presidency was now "open again".
"What a moment"
Just before that, there was quite a commotion at Heil's lunch table. The tone among the half dozen long-time advisors and campaigners of the US Democrats: Biden, due to his age, was probably no longer capable of conducting a successful campaign. Then one of them saw the news of Biden's withdrawal - and all pulled out their phones.
"What a moment," Heil said, who was sitting over a green salad at the time. Suddenly, the mood changed - the focus was now on the next steps and the chances of Biden's deputy and preferred candidate Kamala Harris. The current core question for Heil: "Will the Democrats be able to restart in the coming days or will fights break out now?"
The Democrats know that Trump wants to present them as a chaotic party - this is clear. And they want to do everything to prevent that. At least in this round of democratic infighting, they are in agreement: With Kamala Harris, it could work. The US head of the SPD-aligned Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation, Knut Dethlefsen, believes Harris can fight, can "Department of Attack" - exactly what is needed in the campaign against Trump now. "We still have 102 days until the election," one of Heil's conversation partners grumbled. There's still enough time.
Actually, it should be about AI with Heil
Heil dutifully reported to protocol that the German government had worked well with the Trump administration and was prepared for all scenarios. "We hope for the best and must also reckon with the difficult. But of course, my personal sympathies as a Democrat, as a Social Democrat, are with Kamala Harris." He hoped "that she will be able to win with a strong campaign". His US conversation partners assumed "that there will now be a shift within the party." In other countries, right-wing populists had lost and Democrats had won - in France, for example, in Great Britain and in Poland. Heil: "That gives courage that these elections here can also go well."
Ukraine, Rocket Defense, NATO - The US election results have significant implications for Germany and Europe, said Heil. Originally, the Labor Minister was supposed to travel to the US to explore new approaches for the labor market with Artificial Intelligence (AI), and possibly draw lessons for Germany from it.
Next stop on Heil's US tour: Houston, Texas. The US space agency NASA is also researching the potential of AI on Earth. "It's about AI serving people and not the other way around," said Heil. So that people are not de-prioritized and computers do not gain control. And here too, Heil finds it crucial who will be in power in the US in the future. In general, right-wing populists usually give full priority to the market with little regard for people.
- Despite relief at Joe Biden's decision not to run again in the 2024 United States Presidency Election, German politicians, such as Olaf Scholz and Friedrich Merz, have expressed respect for the former President's decision.
- In a surprising turn of events during a lunch with Democratic campaigners in Washington, German Labor Minister Hubertus Heil witnessed the dissemination of news about Biden's withdrawal via their phones and expressed that the race is now "open again."
- As the focus shifted to Kamala Harris as the potential Democratic candidate for the 2024 United States Presidency Election, Knut Dethlefsen, the head of the SPD-aligned Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation, expressed confidence in Harris's ability to effectively campaign against Donald Trump.
- Hubertus Heil, while visiting the United States of America, noted the potential implications of the election results on Germany and Europe, particularly in regards to Ukraine, Rocket Defense, and NATO, and emphasized the importance of AI serving people and not the other way around, which would depend on the future President's stance on the matter.
