Biden’s Shocking 2024 Exit: One Year Later, Democrats Still Reeling

One year ago, on July 21, 2024, former President Joe Biden made a seismic decision that reverberated through the political landscape—he suspended his re-election campaign. This unprecedented move, after over five decades in politics, left the Democratic Party scrambling and reshaped the 2024 presidential race in ways few could have predicted.

The cracks in Biden’s candidacy began to show publicly after a faltering performance in the June 2024 debate against Donald Trump in Atlanta. His halting responses and visible struggles fueled immediate concern among Democrats, with pundits, donors, and even party lawmakers openly questioning his viability as the party’s nominee at age 81. Despite initial defiance—Biden insisted he was in the race to win, rallying support from key groups like the Congressional Black Caucus—the pressure became insurmountable.

Behind closed doors, Democratic leaders and lawmakers wrestled with the reality of Biden’s electability. Even as the White House and campaign staff reiterated his commitment, the tide turned. On the day of his withdrawal, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor, who later clinched the nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Yet, months later, Harris was decisively defeated by Trump in a landslide victory, with Trump sweeping swing states and securing both the Electoral College and popular vote.

A year on, the Democratic Party is still grappling with the fallout of Biden’s exit, searching for a new standard-bearer while facing internal divisions. Meanwhile, Biden himself remains under intense scrutiny. Investigations by both executive and legislative branches are probing his use of an autopen for signing documents, including controversial pardons—over 1,500 acts of clemency in his final weeks, with only his son Hunter’s pardon signed by hand, despite earlier promises to the contrary.

Adding to the storm, leaked audio from an interview with former special counsel Robert Hur revealed Biden struggling with key personal and professional memories, raising further questions about his mental acuity during his tenure. Congressional committees are now digging deeper, with the House Oversight Committee investigating an alleged cover-up of his declining health and the Senate requesting related records.

Biden’s exit wasn’t just the end of a campaign; it was a turning point that exposed vulnerabilities within a party and a presidency. As the nation watches these investigations unfold, one thing is clear: the echoes of that decision will linger far beyond 2024.