In an official letter released on July 21, President Joe Biden officially ended his re-election bid for the White House.

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection,” Biden said in the letter, “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.”

The decision came after mounting pressure from Democrats to drop out of the race against former President Donald Trump. One AP-NORC poll was released just days before Biden’s final decision. It found that nearly two-thirds of Democrats wanted the current president to withdraw. They cited concerns about his age, health and overall ability to effectively campaign and govern for another term.

Shortly after Biden ended his re-election bid, he endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. Harris has recently received a wave of support from Democratic lawmakers and voters alike. According to a Reuters public opinion poll released on July 26, Harris leads Trump by 2%. Key Democratic figures, including former President Barack Obama and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, have also endorsed Harris. 

Student Thoughts

Student reactions to Biden dropping out of the race have been varied. Erica Lloyd, a second-year student, expressed her surprise at Biden’s move. She said it was the right thing to do, but holds concerns about its timing. 

“I think the choice to drop out now is startling because it is so close to the election, but it also shows respect to the change in public opinion,” she said. “Hopefully, a candidate will be chosen that can overcome the difficulties of having less time to campaign.”

Other students The Chronicle interviewed expressed optimism towards the decision.

“I think it’s for the best. Biden was never my favorite choice, but the better of two options in my opinion,” one student said. “The Democratic Party needed a new candidate.”

Another student agreed with Biden’s decision to drop out.

“It seems like the right thing to do,” they said. “I was surprised that it did not happen earlier. I think that it is the right move for people our age to be represented by someone who is a little bit younger.”

“I saw it coming,” said a third student. “I like to stay out of politics and I am not really involved into it too much. I kind of figured it was going to happen. However, I also think it was a good thing that needed to happen.”

Political Reactions

Utah politicians have reacted to Biden’s decision. Republican Sen. Mike Lee criticized the move on X, saying that it “feels like cheating.”

“If he were stepping down from both the presidency and his candidacy, he could more credibly argue that he’s doing this because of health and age. But stepping down from one and not the other feels like cheating,” Lee said. 

Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Mitt Romney voiced a more optimistic perspective on the President’s move, saying that the president’s decision to withdraw “was right.” 

“I’m a classic Republican and he’s a classic Democrat; obviously, President Biden and I usually didn’t see eye-to-eye. I opposed many of his initiatives,” Romney stated. “But we did find common ground … His decision to withdraw from the race was right and is in the best interest of the country.”

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox offered Biden sympathy.

“Getting old is hard,” he posted on X. “Being in the public spotlight is hard. I can’t imagine how tough it must be as president. I’m sure this was a terribly difficult decision for President Biden and his family.”

[email protected]

@JEmersonHagy