SVE NEWS & CNN.COM Sharing Series — Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race. Here’s what you should know about the historic events today

In an unprecedented move, President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that is exiting the 2024 presidential race and endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, to succeed him. Read more here about how the president came to his decision.

Here are the key things to know:

How we got here: Age had been Biden’s biggest political weakness ever since he launched his first campaign against former President Donald Trump five years ago. After his faltering performance at CNN’s debate on June 27, a growing number of Democrats called on the president to step aside in the 2024 race even as Biden held a slew of events aiming to prove his fitness for office. Check out the full timeline.

What happens next: The Democratic Party will need to choose a new nominee. That decision will ultimately be made by the roughly 4,700 delegates to the Democratic National Convention. Either during a virtual roll call, which is tentatively planned for early August, or at the convention in Chicago beginning August 19, these delegates will select any eligible candidate to be the party’s nominee. Learn about what could happen next here.

What about campaign money: According to the Campaign Legal Center, the campaign war chest — totaling $95.9 million at the end of June — would be directly available to the Democrats’ presidential ticket for use in the general election only if Harris is the party’s nominee or vice presidential nominee. If Harris does not end up on Democrats’ 2024 ticket, the existing campaign account could be converted into a political action committee and use its funds indirectly.

Kamala Harris in the spotlight

Key reactions

Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller tells CNN there will be another debate but adds that the host “could change.”

Earlier today, Trump suggested on Truth Social that Fox News host the debate instead of ABC News. The second debate is currently scheduled for September 10.

President Joe Biden’s performance at the first debate, hosted by CNN on June 27, sparked discussions about whether he should withdraw from presidential race, culminating in his announcement Sunday that he would not seek reelection.

In a sign of how the Biden-Harris campaign apparatus is coalescing around Vice President Kamala Harris after President Joe Biden said he would not seek reelection, the campaign blasted a text to supporters Sunday night asking for them to donate to her campaign.

“I am running to be President of the United States,” the text message opens.

It continues: “These are not ordinary times. And this will not be an ordinary election. But this is our America. And I need you with me in this fight. So, I have to ask: Will you pitch in your first $20 today to elect me as President of the United States and defeat Donald Trump?”

The text hyperlink then goes to an ActBlue donation page, which earlier this afternoon still said in small print that donations would benefit “Joe Biden,” but has now been changed to say that they will benefit “Kamala Harris.”

Kamala Harris’ team decided to go all out once President Joe Biden posted his endorsement of her earlier this afternoon, according to two Democratic allies of the vice president, with the goal of obtaining an overwhelming number of endorsements and delegate support.

To that end, the team now has a very aggressive whip operation to secure the backing of convention delegates. The team is finding during those calls that there is little evidence so far of any other Democrat testing the water to possibly run for the nomination.

The overarching goal, the sources said, is to show that the process is effectively done and then for the DNC to schedule an August 1 roll call, although they acknowledge that the date could change if another viable candidate emerges as a candidate.

Separately, Biden called some Democrats over the weekend who were on TV on his behalf. Two of them told CNN that he voiced his gratitude and then his anger at those who were trying to push him out.

“There was some hurt in his voice but mostly anger,” one of the Biden loyalists said.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom at the Van Buren County Democratic Party’s “BBQ for Biden-Harris” event on July 4 in South Haven, Michigan. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris Sunday, following a spate of other well-known Democrats doing the same after President Joe Biden announced he was stepping aside.

The prominent Democratic governor has long been viewed as having presidential aspirations, though he has appeared to be a loyal soldier to the Biden campaign this cycle.

President Joe Biden hugs Vice President Kamala Harris as North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper looks on during an event at the Chavis community center on March 26, in Raleigh, North Carolina. 

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, who had been mentioned as a possible running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris should she become the Democratic nominee, endorsed Harris for president on Sunday evening.

Cooper and Harris served together as state attorney’s generals, and one source said the two spoke briefly on Sunday.  “The governor expressed his support for her to be the nominee,” the source said.

Before President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal, prominent Democrats and pundits had suggested Cooper could be a potential running mate for Harris if she were to become the nominee. The term-limited governor has not engaged publicly in discussions about that speculation.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who had also been mentioned as a possible running mate, endorsed Harris on Sunday.

Shapiro has also spoken to Harris on Sunday afternoon, according to two sources familiar with the calls.

This post has been updated with information about calls both Cooper and Shapiro had with Harris.

CNN’s Edward-Isaac Dovere and Dianne Gallagher contributed to this post.

President Joe Biden’s 2024 campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez applauds at the Biden for President 2024 campaign headquarters on February 3 in Wilmington, Delaware.

Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez is closely connected to Vice President Kamala Harris, having served as her state director when she was a California senator and on her 2020 presidential campaign.

Harris allies immediately pointed to that relationship Sunday to make the point that amid all the uncertainty and questions about how the campaign moves forward with President Joe Biden stepping aside, at least one person at the helm knows the vice president well and has a long history with her.

CNN previously reported that Biden campaign leadership, including campaign manager Chavez Rodriguez and Jen O’Malley Dillon, voiced support for Harris on an all-staff call with the Biden campaign team and Democratic National Committee staff, and said they have a job to do.

The Tennessee delegation to the Democratic National Convention voted unanimously on Sunday to support Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s presidential nominee, the state party announced on X Sunday, after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race.

Several other state delegations are also expected to deliver their support for Harris as part of a broad effort underway across the Democratic party to rally behind her.

Remember: Now that Biden is no longer a candidate, his delegates to the convention are free to vote for any eligible candidate — either during a virtual roll call, which is tentatively planned for early August, or at the convention in Chicago beginning August 19.

The Democratic online fundraising platform ActBlue says it raised $46.7 million in small-dollar donations in the seven hours after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.

CNN has previously reported that some donors – fearing a Republican rout in November should Biden remain atop the ticket – were withholding contributions or putting fundraising events on hold as the president faced pressure from some Democrats to exit the race

President Joe Biden’s inability to defeat Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump “became insurmountable” in the end, a Democratic strategist close to the Biden campaign told CNN’s Pamela Brown today, describing the stark shift in his posture from looking “forward to getting back on the campaign trail” to dropping out 48 hours later.

The source said there won’t be a major shift in resources – emphasizing they “already know a lot” about Vice President Kamala Harris, whom Biden has endorsed to replace himself on the ticket.

Battleground states are expected to say the same, should Harris become the nominee, the source said, looking at the data the campaign is using for registered Democrats.

The source emphasized that while the campaign is fired up about a Harris presidency, today is also an emotional day for those close to the president.

“We deserve the right to mourn someone we looked up to for so long,” the source said.

Some possible Democratic presidential candidates are waiting to see how the next few hours go, and assessing the degree to which the Democratic Party coalesces around Vice President Kamala Harris, while also giving President Joe Biden his day, according to CNN’s conversations with several Democrats.

Remember: With Biden dropping out of the race, the Democrats will need to choose a new nominee, without the typical series of primaries and caucuses.

That decision will ultimately be made by the roughly 4,700 delegates to the Democratic National Convention. Either during a virtual roll call, which is tentatively planned for early August, or at the convention in Chicago beginning August 19, these delegates will select any eligible candidate to be the party’s nominee.

Now that Biden is no longer a candidate, his delegates are free to vote for whomever they’d like. A major effort is already underway to consolidate support for Harris, who was endorsed today by Biden.

President Joe Biden summoned his top advisers to his Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, home Saturday afternoon as he prepared to make a decision about the 2024 race, two people familiar with the move tell CNN.

Steve Ricchetti, who has advised the president since his vice president days, had been there since Friday morning and fellow longtime adviser Mike Donilon raced over. Biden huddled with the two of them throughout the evening, looked at the latest poll numbers and at what Democratic members were saying. Biden also called his chief of staff Jeff Zients throughout the day.

Then Biden did what he always planned to do before any crucial decision: He held a family meeting Saturday night.

After he decided to exit the 2024 race, the president slept on the matter before making calls on Sunday morning to a broader group. The information was kept with a close hold, to where Zients had to jump on a call and confirm that Biden’s letter he posted online was real with members of his Cabinet on Sunday afternoon.

Legal challenges to Democrats’ move to nominate a new presidential candidate in the wake of President Joe Biden’s unprecedented decision to drop out of the 2024 race stand little likelihood of success, election law experts told CNN.

Donald Trump allies have discussed the legal implications of removing Biden from the ballot, and whether or not they have grounds to challenge the issue, one source familiar with the discussions told CNN. It remains unclear whether or not the campaign or outside allies will ultimately bring such a challenge.

Nevertheless, election law scholars as well as veterans of campaign litigation told CNN that courts would be unlikely to go along with lawsuits that sought to challenge the addition of a new name on the top of the Democratic ticket.

It may be at least a few more weeks until we see any Hail Mary lawsuits tested. Because Biden dropped out before the formal mechanisms that would have made him the Democratic nominee, there is nothing yet for his opponents to challenge in court and they’ll face an uphill battle once they do.

Read more about possible court challenges to the Democratic nomination here.

Sen. Joe Manchin walks with staffers on the east front of the US Capitol on June 5 in Washington, DC.

Sources close to Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia independent, said he’s considering re-registering as a Democrat and throwing his hat into the ring to run for president.

The senator said earlier Sunday — before President Joe Biden announced he is dropping out of the 2024 race — that it’s time for Biden to “pass the torch.”

Manchin, 76, said he hoped the transfer of power could be done “in the most respectful way.”

“I’m hoping for that, because I think it will leave him with a tremendous legacy as one of the greatest leaders that we’ve had,” he told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.” “I say this, and I came to the decision with a heavy heart, that I think it’s time to pass the torch to a new generation.”

The West Virginia independent said he hoped there would be an “open process” to pick a new nominee if Biden stepped down. He said he favored governors as potential replacements, because they “can’t afford” to be partisan as the leaders of a state. Manchin floated Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as potential options.

Manchin, a longtime moderate Democrat, announced in May that he was registering as an independent. Manchin, whose announcement last year that he wasn’t seeking reelection was a political gift to Republicans hoping to flip the Senate, said in June that he’s “not running for any office,” he didn’t rule out the possibility.

Pressed on whether he was closing the door on a future run, he told CNN’s Manu Raju, “I have not – I never leave any, you never leave any political opportunity and walk away from that, so you always have options, because life is full of surprises. But I have no intention of running for political office.”

This post has been updated with additional information.

CNN’s Aileen Graef, Antoinette Radford and Morgan Rimmer contributed to this post.

President Joe Biden’s stunning decision to drop out of the 2024 race did not have to do with any medical issues, a senior White House official told CNN.

Biden has had no significant medical examinations – aside from daily check-ins with his doctor which in recent days had to do with monitoring his Covid-19 diagnosis – as he deliberated over his political future, the official said, and medical issues ultimately were not an issue.

Even as recently as within the last week, Biden suggested that a new medical problem would be the only thing that could prompt him to reconsider his decision to seek a second term, as public pressure on him to drop out continued to mount.

“If I had some medical condition that emerged, if somebody – if the doctors came to me and said you’ve got this problem, that problem. But I made a serious mistake in the, in the whole debate,” he told BET News’ Ed Gordon in an interview Tuesday.

The president’s last annual physical was in February. The White House has been criticized for declining to make more of Biden’s medical records public or his doctor available for questioning, after his disastrous debate performance raised alarm about his health.

Several dozen current and former members of the Democratic National Committee have signed a letter backing Vice President Kamala Harris to replace President Joe Biden as the party’s nominee, according to a copy of the letter obtained by CNN.

The letter also praised Biden for “all that he has done and continues to do for our country and the world.” The letter also urged delegates of the 2024 Democratic National Convention and “all voters in November, to support Kamala Harris for President of the United States.”

Remember: With Biden dropping out of the race, the Democratic Party will now need to choose a new nominee, without the typical series of primaries and caucuses that allow a broad swath of Americans to make their opinions known.

That decision will ultimately be made by the roughly 4,700 delegates to the Democratic National Convention. Either during a virtual roll call, which is tentatively planned for early August, or at the convention in Chicago beginning August 19, these delegates will select any eligible candidate to be the party’s nominee.

Now that Biden is no longer a candidate, his delegates are free to vote for whomever they’d like, and a major effort is underway to consolidate their support for Harris.

First lady Jill Biden looks on as President Joe Biden speaks to supporters and volunteers during a campaign stop at a Biden-Harris campaign office in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on July 7. 

First lady Dr. Jill Biden remained President Joe Biden’s most ardent supporter as he weighed his political future in Rehoboth Beach and offered her support for whatever decision he chose, according to her communications director.

Jill Biden has long been the president’s closest adviser and fiercest protector, wielding influence in the White House and in his campaign. A reluctant politician, she has been an active surrogate on the campaign trail, crisscrossing the country on his behalf as she worked to bolster his support with key coalitions.

Her last public event was an appearance at the Italian Sons and Daughters of American dinner in Pittsburgh, where she connected her Italian heritage and values to the president last Saturday.

Jill Biden is still expected to travel to Paris later this week, where she will lead the US delegation to the 2024 Olympic Games.

President Joe Biden’s cabinet secretaries praised him after he announced he is not seeking reelection.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken posted on X that Biden “restored U.S. leadership around the world and delivered historic accomplishments as President.” Blinken also wrote “It has been — and remains —the honor of my life to work for @POTUS for the past twenty-two years.”

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who also ran for president in 2020, praised Biden as “among the best and most consequential presidents in American history. I am so proud to serve under his leadership, and thankful for his unwavering focus on what is best for our country.” The secretary, who appeared alongside Vice President Kamala Harris at a fundraiser on Saturday, also threw his support behind Harris, saying in a statement, “I have seen her extraordinary leadership firsthand, working closely with her during the 2020 campaign and then in the historically effective Biden-Harris administration. I will do all that I can to help her win this election to lead America forward as our next President.”

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement that Biden “brought to fruition a vision of a new and dynamic American economy built around clean energy and climate-smart and resilient industries, including the agriculture sector.” Also, the US Department of Agriculture under the Biden-Harris administration “has advanced food and nutrition security for tens of millions, invested in new, better and more markets to create a fairer and better marketplace for all farmers, improved the health and resilience of our national forests and grasslands, made our food safer, and centered equity in all that we do.”

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called Biden “an extraordinary guardian of America’s national security.” Among Biden’s achievements that Austin listed in a statement were that the president “renewed, deepened, and broadened the unmatched global network of alliances and partnerships that makes America more secure; he rallied the world to defend Ukraine after the Kremlin’s indefensible, all-out invasion in 2022; he positioned America to succeed in our strategic competition with the People’s Republic of China; he dramatically strengthened U.S. posture in the Indo-Pacific; he bolstered, united, and expanded NATO, and he shored up Israel’s security after Hamas’s vile October 7th terrorist assault and worked tirelessly to protect Palestinian civilians in Gaza.”

Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement that Biden, from the beginning of his tenure, “has made clear in both word and deed that he stands for the rule of law and for the Justice Department’s critical mission to protect the safety and the civil rights of everyone in our country.”

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in a statement thanked Biden for devoting his life to public service and said Biden has “taken and directed bold, innovative, and decisive actions to help safeguard our communities, secure our borders, harness the power of artificial intelligence, advance our cybersecurity, eradicate the scourge of fentanyl, and more – all while standing up for our nation’s values.”

The US futures market edged up slightly Sunday after President Joe Biden announced he would step down as the Democratic nominee in the 2024 presidential election.

Futures tied to the S&P 500 added 0.2%, while Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq futures gained 0.1% and 0.3%, respectively.

Biden has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, which some analysts believe has reduced market uncertainty.

“We expect a muted stock market reaction from President Biden’s resignation from the presidential race, as it was widely expected,” said Jay Hatfield, CEO at Infrastructure Capital Advisors, in a note Sunday evening.

It is not unprecedented for an incumbent president to abandon his reelection campaign. But it is rare, and no president until President Joe Biden has been pressured out of a reelection campaign out of concerns about his mental fitness.

One warning bell for Democrats who assume that a nominee younger than Biden – he has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris – would do better against former President Donald Trump: Republicans won the two most recent elections in which presidents eligible for reelection bowed out of their campaigns.

Democrats Harry S. Truman and Lyndon B. Johnson were succeeded by Republicans. A more immediate problem for Democrats is that Biden’s departure is the latest such decision in history.

Comparisons between Biden and any of these presidents are not perfect. Neither Truman nor Johnson faced serious questions about their ability to do the job. Biden does.

Both Johnson and Truman, like Biden, were former lawmakers and former vice presidents. Unlike Biden, both had assumed the presidency after a death or assassination. Both Johnson and Truman then won the White House in their own right.

But both Johnson and Truman faced competition for their party’s nomination in 1952 and 1968 respectively. Both were embarrassed by a subpar showing in the New Hampshire primary, and both announced in the spring that they would not seek reelection.

Donald Trump’s allies are launching attack ads targeting Vice President Kamala Harris in the wake of President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race, previewing sharp criticism and targeting key battleground states.

The leading pro-Trump super PAC, MAGA Inc., launched a new 30-second spot Sunday, first shared on social media, blasting Harris and saying she “covered up Joe Biden’s obvious mental decline.” The group also announced plans to air the ad in the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania.

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. praised President Joe Biden for his decision to drop out of the presidential race on Sunday and called on the Democratic Party to nominate Biden’s replacement via an “open process.”

Kennedy, a former Democrat who previously ran against Biden in the primaries before switching to run as an independent, said in a post on Sunday he hopes the party will “use neutral polling” to select the strongest candidate to defeat former President Donald Trump, and criticized the party’s handling of the primary process.

“If they had done this to begin with, I would not have had to leave the Democratic Party,” he added.

Kennedy applauded Biden’s decision to drop out of the race while claiming his “progressive deterioration” undermined his candidacy.

Speaking later at a news conference at his family’s compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, Kennedy said he thinks nominating Harris at the convention will “discredit… the party I grew up with.”

He referred to the Democratic Party as a “cabal” and compared its nomination processes to the illegitimate elections held in Russia.

He also made his first targeted attacks at Harris, calling her a “war hawk” whose record shows “no difference” between her and Biden.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity foreign affairs track ministerial in the Benjamin Franklin Room of the State Department in Washington, DC on July 17.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken praised President Joe Biden after he announced that he is not seeking reelection.

President Joe Biden talks to his son, Hunter Biden, following the fireworks on the National Mall with First Lady Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff from the White House balcony during a 4th of July event on the South Lawn of the White House on July 4 in Washington, DC. 

President Joe Biden’s son Hunter praised his father’s lifetime of public service after the president announced he would not seek reelection in a statement Sunday.

Hunter Biden, who has struggled with addiction and has a close relationship with his father, also called on all Americans to thank the president for his service.

“I’m so lucky every night I get to tell him I love him, and to thank him. I ask all Americans to join me tonight in doing the same.  Thank you, Mr. President. I love you, Dad,” Hunter wrote.

President Joe Biden has spent Sunday talking to members of Congress, governors and supporters after he announced that he is dropping out of the 2024 race and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.

The White House said Sunday that Biden “will continue to engage with key stakeholders” Sunday night and Monday.

CNN spoke with voters in Pennsylvania and California, asking them about their thoughts on President Joe Biden’s announcement to exit the 2024 race and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.

Here’s what they said:

Los Angeles:

Orange County resident Ron Dizon said he doesn’t “completely support (Harris), but I would honor that if she was to run.”

“If we could see someone that is not like a politician — something like a Trump, but like, not a Trump. I want to see something different,” he added.

Los Angeles resident Debra Elder said she is “sad” about Biden’s decision. “He’s a strong president, although he’s up in age, but he still has a lot to give. I can understand the age difference, but his mind is still strong. Although he might forget something, but it still comes back to him, I just think he’s a better president for our country,” she said.

But Elder said she thinks Harris could beat former President Donald Trump in a potential matchup. “We just have to get out there, and put our boots on, and hit the ground running real hard,” she added.

Pittsburgh:

Tina Enck told CNN “it was obvious that maybe it was time for him to step aside. The security of the nation has to be of the utmost importance.”

Meanwhile, Marie Colangelo said she thinks “it’s an instant win for Trump if they choose” Harris to be the Democratic nominee. “I think they are going to have to get someone more challenging. I won’t name names, but there are a few that would give him a real run for his money because the country is definitely split in half.”

If Kamala Harris ends up facing Donald Trump in November, she’ll be running against a former campaign donor.

According to California campaign finance records, Trump contributed a total of $6,000 to Harris’ campaigns for attorney general between 2011 and 2013. Trump made a $5,000 contribution to Harris’ campaign account in 2011, and gave an additional $1,000 in 2013.

The state records show Trump also contributed to another aspiring rival, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, giving $2,500 in 2009 to Newsom’s first, unsuccessful gubernatorial bid.

Some background: Before his personal entry to politics in 2015, Trump was a frequent campaign contributor to candidates from both parties. And during his first bid for president, Trump deflected criticism of his donations to Democrats by bragging about his influence and criticizing a “broken system.”

“I give to everybody. When they call, I give. And you know what, when I need something from them two years later, three years later, I call them. They are there for me. That’s a broken system,” he said during a 2016 GOP presidential primary debate.

The logo for the Democratic National Convention is displayed on the scoreboard at the United Center during a media walkthrough on January 18 in Chicago.

President Joe Biden will end his bid for reelection and has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.

Despite Biden’s backing, it remains unclear whether Harris will become the nominee, or what process the party will take to select an alternative.

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions:

Does Harris just become the nominee? No. While Biden has already endorsed his vice president for the nomination, there’s no succession protocol for the presidential ticket in the way there is for the office. Harris will have to win a majority of the convention just like anyone else.

What’s the “virtual roll call”? Democrats are in the process of setting up a system to conduct their presidential nomination vote remotely before the party’s convention next month.

Under a plan presented Friday, delegates would get 24 hours’ notice before voting begins, and voting would take place via digital ballots emailed to delegates.

However, the party did not take any steps to approve the plan at Friday’s meeting. It’s not yet clear whether the party will stick with the remote vote plan or scrap it and allow the formal vote to happen on the convention floor.

How would other candidates get into the race? Under party rules, candidates must meet certain requirements to have their names placed into nomination to be the party’s presidential candidate.

They must gather hundreds of signatures from delegates (at least 300, but not more than 600) from several states.

Candidates also must meet a series of requirements laid out in party rules, including that they are a “bona fide Democrat” and that they have “established substantial support for their nomination as the Democratic candidate” for president. While this determination is to be made by the DNC chair, the party has not yet released more details on how eligible candidates would be determined.

What are delegates? There are two separate sets of delegates.

There are 3,949 pledged delegates. These are delegates who were selected through various state-level processes. About 99% of them were pledged to vote for Biden, based on his performance in primaries and caucuses around the country. The individuals who were pledged to vote for Biden were also approved by his campaign.

Roughly 750 (747 as of the last word from the DNC – this number can change) are automatic delegates. Also known as “superdelegates,” these are individuals who serve as delegates by virtue of another position they hold or held. These delegates are free to vote for the candidate of their choice, but under normal circumstances, they can’t vote on the first ballot if their votes could impact the results of the nomination (it’s not exactly clear whether they’ll be able to participate on this first ballot in this case.

Are Democratic delegates required to vote for the candidate who won them? No. Under Democratic party rules, pledged delegates “shall in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them.” However, the candidates’ right of review means that delegates can be expected to be loyal to the candidate to whom they’re pledged.

But now that Biden is no longer a candidate, his delegates are free to vote for whomever they’d like. He doesn’t need to formally “release” his delegates.

President Joe Biden signs into law the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act gun safety bill in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 25, 2022. 

At the top of the letter announcing he won’t seek reelection, President Joe Biden lists several accomplishments of his first – and only – term. Here are some of them:

Read more about the accomplishments he lists here.

The Biden campaign leadership, including manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez and chair Jen O’Malley Dillon, have voiced support for Vice President Kamala Harris on an all-staff call.

The call was with the Biden campaign team and Democratic National Committee staff. The leaders told the staff they had a job to do.

Another source added that Biden’s campaign staff were told everyone still had a job on the campaign.

“The team is the team,” they were told.

Notably, staff have not offered any concrete logistical information, details many members of Biden’s Wilmington team are anxiously awaiting. The president is in Rehoboth Beach isolating after he tested positive for Covid-19 last week.

This post has been updated with additional details.

The Biden-Harris campaign has formally amended filings with the Federal Election Commission to rename its principal committee, hours after President Joe Biden made his announcement that he would withdraw from the race.

On Sunday, the campaign committee filed paperwork with the FEC, which noted that the “committee name is different than previously reported,” re-designating the committee as “Harris for President.”

The committee also filed a letter with the commission stating: “Vice President Harris is now a candidate for United States President in the 2024 election and will henceforth be conducting campaign activities only in pursuit of that office.”

Remember: Control of the campaign war chest, however — totaling $95.9 million at the end of June — depends on whether Harris remains on the Democrats’ 2024 ticket.

According to a statement from the Campaign Legal Center, those funds would be directly available to the Democrats’ presidential ticket for use in the general election only if Harris is the party’s nominee or vice presidential nominee.

If Harris does not end up on Democrats’ 2024 ticket, the funds could not be directly transferred to a new candidate. The existing campaign account could be converted into a political action committee and use its funds indirectly.

At the top of the letter announcing he won’t seek reelection, President Joe Biden lists several accomplishments of his first – and only – term. Here are some of them:

Read about the additional accomplishments he lists in the letter here.