Trump, JD Vance, Republican lawmakers react to Biden's decision to drop out of presidential race
Here's how former President Donald Trump and Republican senators and members of Congress are reacting to President Biden's decision to leave the 2024 race.
President Biden's unexpected announcement on Sunday that he was withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race sparked reactions from both sides of the political spectrum. Here's how former President Donald Trump—the 2024 Republican nominee—as well as Republican senators, members of Congress, governors, and prominent party members reacted to the president's decision to exit the race just weeks before the Democratic Convention, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor.
Former President Donald Trump:
- Trump expressed surprise at Mr. Biden's announcement, calling it "a shock to the country" in a conversation with CBS News' Robert Costa.
- He suggested that Mr. Biden was pressured to drop out and that he "shouldn't have been our president."
- Trump also cast doubt on whether Harris would be the Democratic nominee but asserted that it wouldn't affect his campaign strategy. He maintained that he was running against the policies of the Biden administration regardless of who was at the top of the ticket.
- He pulled out of a planned presidential debate on ABC, suggesting that the debate should be held on Fox News instead, given Mr. Biden's withdrawal.
- In posts on his social media platform, Trump criticized Mr. Biden's presidency, accusing him of attaining office through lies and deception, and highlighting his administration's failures on various fronts.
Sen. JD Vance of Ohio:
- Sen. JD Vance, the Republican nominee for vice president, criticized both Mr. Biden and Harris, arguing that Harris shared responsibility for the administration's failures on the border and energy policies.
- He also accused Harris of lying about Mr. Biden's mental capacity and asserted that a Trump-Vance ticket was ready to take on the Democrats, regardless of their nominee.
House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana:
- House Speaker Johnson claimed that Mr. Biden's decision invalidated the votes of millions of Democratic primary voters and argued that Harris shared responsibility for the administration's failures.
- He called for Mr. Biden's immediate resignation, suggesting that if he wasn't fit to run, he wasn't fit to serve as president.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky:
- Senate Minority Leader McConnell focused on the failures of the Biden administration, blaming the president for high inflation, border chaos, and weak leadership on the world stage.
- He also criticized Democratic efforts to influence primary elections and expressed doubt in their ability to deliver secure borders, safe streets, and stable prices.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana:
- House Majority Leader Steve Scalise accused Democratic leaders of showing "no respect" for their own voters by forcing Mr. Biden out of the race, disregarding the primary choice of millions of Democrats.
- He also criticized the cover-up of Mr. Biden's fitness for office, demanding that Harris and others involved answer for their role in misleading the public.
Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida:
- Gov. DeSantis blamed Harris for what he called "the worst border crisis in American history," accusing her of being complicit in covering up Mr. Biden's incapacity.
- He dismissed the Democratic ticket change as rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, suggesting that the Biden-Harris administration's failures would remain the focus of the election.
Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota:
- Majority Whip Tom Emmer joined the calls for Mr. Biden's resignation, arguing that if the Democratic Party deemed him unfit to run, he was also unfit to control the nuclear codes.
Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York:
- Rep. Stefanik, the highest-ranking Republican woman in the House, asserted that Mr. Biden's withdrawal demonstrated his inability to serve as president and urged him to resign immediately.
- She also claimed that every elected Democrat owned Mr. Biden's failures and predicted a victory for President Trump in November to "save America."
Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah:
- Sen. Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, acknowledged his differences with Mr. Biden on many issues but expressed respect for the president.
- He highlighted areas of common ground between them, including infrastructure, Ukraine, and gun safety measures, and said that Mr. Biden's decision to withdraw was in the best interest of the country.
Sen. Steve Daines of Montana:
- Sen. Daines called on Mr. Biden to resign, arguing that he was no longer capable of serving as president and citing concerns about national security.
- He also questioned the lack of support for Harris among Democratic senators and expressed doubts about her ability to serve as president.
Sen. Rick Scott of Florida:
- Sen. Scott asserted that if Mr. Biden wasn't fit to run for re-election, he wasn't fit to serve as president for the remaining six months of his term.
- He criticized the Biden administration's policies, blaming them for a wide range of issues, including an open border, inflation, and foreign policy failures.
- Scott predicted a victory for Trump and the Republicans in November, promising to "save our country" from the Democrats.
Republican National Committee (RNC) Leaders:
- RNC Chairman Michael Whatley and Co-Chairman Lara Trump expressed confidence in a Trump victory, arguing that he alone could fix the border crisis, restore the economy, and secure America's standing in the world.
- They criticized Harris for her role in the administration's failures and accused her of covering up Mr. Biden's declining health, undermining her credibility.
NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson:
- NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson called Mr. Biden's withdrawal a scandal, accusing Democrats of lying to the American people about the president's fitness for office.
- He predicted a strong Republican showing in the November elections, with Trump returning to the White House and a larger House Republican majority.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin:
- Gov. Youngkin emphasized that the Biden-Harris administration's weak leadership and policy failures would be the focus of the election, regardless of who topped the Democratic ticket.
- He called for a united effort to secure borders, build safe communities, grow the economy, and restore America's standing in the world.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves:
- Gov. Reeves quipped that only a strong and talented politician like Donald J. Trump could force his opponent to quit in the middle of a race.
Trump Presidential Campaign Advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles:
- Senior Trump campaign advisers issued a scathing statement, calling Mr. Biden "weak, pathetic, and incompetent" and accusing Harris of being complicit in his failures.
- They argued that Harris was even less competent than Mr. Biden and questioned her ability to serve as president, demanding that she address the concerns about Mr. Biden's cognitive decline.
Donald Trump Jr.:
- Donald Trump Jr., the former president's son, asserted that Harris owned the entire left-wing policy record of the Biden administration and claimed that she was more liberal and less competent than Mr. Biden.
Former President Donald Trump:
- Trump expressed surprise at Mr. Biden's announcement, calling it "a shock to the country" in a conversation with CBS News' Robert Costa.
- He suggested that Mr. Biden was pressured to drop out and that he "shouldn't have been our president."
- Trump also cast doubt on whether Harris would be the Democratic nominee but asserted that it wouldn't affect his campaign strategy. He maintained that he was running against the policies of the Biden administration regardless of who was at the top of the ticket.
- He pulled out of a planned presidential debate on ABC, suggesting that the debate should be held on Fox News instead, given Mr. Biden's withdrawal.
- In posts on his social media platform, Trump criticized Mr. Biden's presidency, accusing him of attaining office through lies and deception, and highlighting his administration's failures on various fronts.
Sen. JD Vance of Ohio:
- Sen. JD Vance, the Republican nominee for vice president, criticized both Mr. Biden and Harris, arguing that Harris shared responsibility for the administration's failures on the border and energy policies.
- He also accused Harris of lying about Mr. Biden's mental capacity and asserted that a Trump-Vance ticket was ready to take on the Democrats, regardless of their nominee.
House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana:
- House Speaker Johnson claimed that Mr. Biden's decision invalidated the votes of millions of Democratic primary voters and argued that Harris shared responsibility for the administration's failures.
- He called for Mr. Biden's immediate resignation, suggesting that if he wasn't fit to run, he wasn't fit to serve as president.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky:
- Senate Minority Leader McConnell focused on the failures of the Biden administration, blaming the president for high inflation, border chaos, and weak leadership on the world stage.
- He also criticized Democratic efforts to influence primary elections and expressed doubt in their ability to deliver secure borders, safe streets, and stable prices.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana:
- House Majority Leader Steve Scalise accused Democratic leaders of showing "no respect" for their own voters by forcing Mr. Biden out of the race, disregarding the primary choice of millions of Democrats.
- He also criticized the cover-up of Mr. Biden's fitness for office, demanding that Harris and others involved answer for their role in misleading the public.
Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida:
- Gov. DeSantis blamed Harris for what he called "the worst border crisis in American history," accusing her of being complicit in covering up Mr. Biden's incapacity.
- He dismissed the Democratic ticket change as rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, suggesting that the Biden-Harris administration's failures would remain the focus of the election.
Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota:
- Majority Whip Tom Emmer joined the calls for Mr. Biden's resignation, arguing that if the Democratic Party deemed him unfit to run, he was also unfit to control the nuclear codes.
Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York:
- Rep. Stefanik, the highest-ranking Republican woman in the House, asserted that Mr. Biden's withdrawal demonstrated his inability to serve as president and urged him to resign immediately.
- She also claimed that every elected Democrat owned Mr. Biden's failures and predicted a victory for President Trump in November to "save America."
Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah:
- Sen. Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, acknowledged his differences with Mr. Biden on many issues but expressed respect for the president.
- He highlighted areas of common ground between them, including infrastructure, Ukraine, and gun safety measures, and said that Mr. Biden's decision to withdraw was in the best interest of the country.
Sen. Steve Daines of Montana:
- Sen. Daines called on Mr. Biden to resign, arguing that he was no longer capable of serving as president and citing concerns about national security.
- He also questioned the lack of support for Harris among Democratic senators and expressed doubts about her ability to serve as president.
Sen. Rick Scott of Florida:
- Sen. Scott asserted that if Mr. Biden wasn't fit to run for re-election, he wasn't fit to serve as president for the remaining six months of his term.
- He criticized the Biden administration's policies, blaming them for a wide range of issues, including an open border, inflation, and foreign policy failures.
- Scott predicted a victory for Trump and the Republicans in November, promising to "save our country" from the Democrats.
Republican National Committee (RNC) Leaders:
- RNC Chairman Michael Whatley and Co-Chairman Lara Trump expressed confidence in a Trump victory, arguing that he alone could fix the border crisis, restore the economy, and secure America's standing in the world.
- They criticized Harris for her role in the administration's failures and accused her of covering up Mr. Biden's declining health, undermining her credibility.
NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson:
- NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson called Mr. Biden's withdrawal a scandal, accusing Democrats of lying to the American people about the president's fitness for office.
- He predicted a strong Republican showing in the November elections, with Trump returning to the White House and a larger House Republican majority.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin:
- Gov. Youngkin emphasized that the Biden-Harris administration's weak leadership and policy failures would be the focus of the election, regardless of who topped the Democratic ticket.
- He called for a united effort to secure borders, build safe communities, grow the economy, and restore America's standing in the world.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves:
- Gov. Reeves quipped that only a strong and talented politician like Donald J. Trump could force his opponent to quit in the middle of a race.
Trump Presidential Campaign Advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles:
- Senior Trump campaign advisers issued a scathing statement, calling Mr. Biden "weak, pathetic, and incompetent" and accusing Harris of being complicit in his failures.
- They argued that Harris was even less competent than Mr. Biden and questioned her ability to serve as president, demanding that she address the concerns about Mr. Biden's cognitive decline.
Donald Trump Jr.:
- Donald Trump Jr., the former president's son, asserted that Harris owned the entire left-wing policy record of the Biden administration and claimed that she was more liberal and less competent than Mr. Biden.