Southland elected leaders were weighing in Sunday on President Joe Biden’s announcement that he’s withdrawing from the 2024 presidential campaign.
“From the first time Vice President Biden called me when my mother passed in 2011, to my experience working with Congress, I’ve seen nothing but a man who is kind, compassionate, and always puts people and his country first,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn said.
“We thank him for his decades of public service and joining with all of us as we make sure our democratic values win in November.”
“President Biden will go down in history as one of the best Presidents of our great country,” said Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Los Angeles. “(He) took a nation hurt by the pandemic and turned our country around, ushering in massive job growth, infrastructure and a clean energy and tech revolution. Thank you Mr. President.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom said Biden “has been an extraordinary, history-making president — a leader who has fought hard for working people and delivered astonishing results for all Americans. He will go down in history as one of the most impactful and selfless presidents.”
The Los Angeles County Republican Party issued a harsh rebuke to Newsom’s comments, responding to the governor’s post by saying, “You praised him after the debate. We knew Biden was unfit for years, yet you and the media lied and smeared anyone that told the truth. Nobody should trust anything you (Newsom) say.”
The county GOP added in a separate post, “It doesn’t matter who the nominee is when it’s still the same destructive policy platform.”
In a statement released late Sunday morning Pacific time, Biden said: “It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, 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.
“I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision.”
Biden’s initial message did not express his preference for who should take his place at the top of the ticket, but he posted another statement about 30 minutes later endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.
“My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” the statement said. “My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
The Democratic Party is now faced with a possible rift between those backing Harris and others who favor an open competition before the Democratic National Convention, which will be held in Chicago from Aug. 19-22.
The president had repeatedly rejected calls from a growing number of Democrats in Congress to drop out of the race, brushing off concerns about his age and fitness to withstand the rigors of a national campaign against GOP nominee and former President Donald Trump.
However, reports surfaced in recent days that the president might be reconsidering his stance as he remained secluded in Delaware after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier this week.
Rep. Mike Levin, D-Dana Point, called Biden’s decision “incredibly patriotic and the right thing to do. He put country first. I want to thank President Biden for his decades of public service to our country and his historic presidency. He has led our country with unwavering courage, conviction and strength. Our nation, and the entire free world, is better off because of his leadership.”
Levin also threw his full backing behind Harris, calling her “the right person to lead our nation forward and defeat Donald Trump and his extremist policies.”
Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Los Angeles, said Biden was “prioritizing the American people and doing all possible to secure the strongest, brightest and most stable future for our nation. With heart and humility, the president has used his time in the White House to usher in transformative change. … The president’s decision to step aside is bigger than one election or one candidate — it is about the kind of country we want to be in the long run. Now is the time to unify and continue Democrats’ longtime fight for working people across this country.”