US Democrats face rushed nomination proceedings after Biden's withdrawal
Biden himself expressed his "full support" for Harris on Sunday shortly after announcing his withdrawal, to run against Republican Donald Trump in the November election. Moreover, the 81-year-old announced that he would provide more details about his decision in the coming week.
The 59-year-old Vice President Harris had already been seen as a likely alternative after Biden's disastrous performance in the first TV debate against Trump. On Sunday, Harris declared that she wanted to "earn and win" the nomination.
In the polls, the former Senator has so far only received low approval ratings. At the beginning of her 2021 tenure as Vice President, Harris had difficulties gaining a profile. However, during the campaign, she had already highlighted key issues such as reproductive rights with appearances alongside Biden.
Behind Harris, influential figures in the party have already lined up, including former Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton. About one-third of the Democratic senators, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and several governors, have expressed their support for Harris - including the governors of California and Pennsylvania, Gavin Newsom and Josh Shapiro, who had been considered Biden alternatives.
Financially, Harris' support was also evident: The group responsible for collecting campaign donations, ActBlue, reported that Harris had received $46.7 million (around 43 million Euro) in small donations by Sunday evening (local time) - the "biggest fundraising day" of the campaign.
However, several heavyweights of the Democrats have not yet expressed support for a Harris candidacy - among them, former President Barack Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
It remains unclear how the nomination of the new Democratic presidential candidate will proceed. The candidate is elected by the delegates of the Democratic National Convention, which takes place from August 19-22 in Chicago. The basis for their vote is supposed to be the results of the primaries in the US states - which Biden won handily. The delegates now face the question of whom they should alternatively vote for.
It is possible that the voting for the candidate may already take place digitally before the convention. The Democrats could thus avoid a month-long debate leading up to the convention and potentially avoid a legal issue in the crucial state of Ohio. The legal situation regarding a deadline for naming the presidential candidates in Ohio is not entirely clear.
Given this extremely tight timeline, the chances of potential challengers to Harris are also uncertain. The US television network CBS reported that potential delegates of the Democratic National Convention were informed to commit to Harris as early as August.
The presidential election in November could take on a completely new dynamic due to Biden's about-face: Instead of the unpopular rematch between Trump and Biden from 2020, one of the most captivating presidential campaign battles in recent US history could become a reality.
The Republican ex-President Trump came close to an assassination attempt on July 13th and was shortly thereafter officially nominated as the Republican Party's presidential candidate. He is now forced to restructure his campaign focused on Biden. Moreover, the 78-year-old will likely be the oldest nominated presidential candidate in US history.
Facing the Democrats' switch, Trump called for the second debate of presidential candidates to take place on the right-leaning Fox News, instead of ABC News as previously planned, in his online network Truth Social. Trump's running mate, J.D. Vance, stated that Biden was the "worst president" he had ever experienced, and Kamala Harris had "stepped by step" accompanied him.
Meanwhile, Biden received respectful acknowledgments from Germany on Monday. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) stated that Biden was putting "the interests of his country over his own." Transatlantic Coordinator of the German government, Michael Link (FDP), spoke in "Tagesspiegel" of a "deep turning point" and said, "probably never before" had a US president "taken the EU institutions and the 'old' continent as a whole so seriously."
In Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov reacted coolly to a potential presidential candidacy by Kamala Harris. Her contribution to US-Russia relations "has not been particularly noticeable," Peskow told journalists. However, she had "given statements with a rather hostile rhetoric towards our country."
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a prominent US Democrat, has expressed her support for Vice President Kamala Harris' potential candidacy.
- During the nomination procedure for the Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State and presidential candidate, has expressed her support for Harris.
- In response to Biden's withdrawal, Donald Trump, the Republican Party's nominee, has stated that the second debate of presidential candidates should take place on Fox News.
- After Biden's announcement, the Republicans see an opportunity to restructure their campaign, focusing on Biden's policies and Harris' role.
- In Pennsylvania, one of the crucial states in the US elections, Governor Josh Shapiro has expressed his support for Harris' candidacy.
- The Democrats' switch in candidates has brought a new dynamic to the presidential election, with potential candidates scrambling to adjust their campaigns.
- Jaime Harrison, a Democratic candidate for the US Senate from South Carolina, has also expressed his support for Vice President Harris' potential candidacy.
- Pete Buttigieg, a former Democratic presidential candidate and current Transportation Secretary, has also voiced his support for Harris' bid for the Presidency.
- In the nomination procedure, delegates from Pennsyvania and several other states will be deciding on who to vote for as the new Democratic presidential candidate.
- Despite Biden's disastrous performance in the first TV debate, his support remains strong among key Democratic figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Joe Biden, who has renounced his candidacy.
- Joe Biden's withdrawal paves the way for a potential challenge to Harris' candidacy, with influential figures like Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg expressing their support.
