Yet another twist in an already unpredictable presidential election year. Last weekend was the assassination attempt on Former President Donald Trump, and this weekend the rumors surrounding President Biden's fumbling reelection campaign proved true. In a post on X, Joe Biden announced today that "it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down." In a separate post Biden went on to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris.
While Democrats collectively breathe a sigh of relief, this in no way clears a path to victory over Trump in November. A YouGov Poll conducted last week shows 39 percent of respondents would vote for Harris while 44 percent would support Trump. The Democratic National Convention will kick off next month in Chicago, August 19th through the 22nd, and it's anyone's guess how things will play out.
By law Harris is the only candidate who can use the money Biden has raised for his 2024 campaign, but there are doubts about whether she has the full support of the Democrat party. Other names like California Governor Gavin Newsom and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer have made the rounds as potential replacements for Biden.
Meanwhile the Trump campaign has been planning for this scenario with the former president attacking Harris at his campaign rallies on issues like the border crisis. Harris was tasked with addressing the root causes of migration to the United States while border crossings continued to surge during the first three years of Biden's presidency. Harris will also likely face accusations of misleading the American people about Biden's mental acuity.
No doubt a Trump/Harris debate will be worth watching, but questions linger about whether this last minute switch up will do much for slowing down the momentum of the Trump campaign.
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