Barack Obama salutes ‘great patriot’ Joe Biden after his resignation…

“I would like to express my deepest thanks to Joe Biden for his friendship and unwavering support for the Israeli people throughout his decades-long career. As the first American president to visit Israel during wartime (…) and as a true ally of the Jewish people, he is a symbol of the unbreakable bond between our two peoples,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in a message on X.

Before Joe Biden’s withdrawal was announced, Donald Trump was already attacking the vice president who could potentially take up the torch in the race for the White House. “I call her Kamala of laughter. Have you ever watched her laugh? She’s crazy. You can say a lot with a laugh. No, she’s crazy. She’s crazy,” the Republican candidate had said.

US Vice President Kamala Harris praised the “selfless and patriotic act” of the 81-year-old Democratic president, who announced his support for her as a candidate. “I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party – and unite our nation – to defeat Donald Trump,” she wrote.

“I know he would not make this decision if he were not convinced that it was the right decision for America,” the former president wrote in a statement. “We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that our party’s leaders will be able to create a process that will allow an exceptional candidate to emerge,” he said.

“Kamala Harris is just as ridiculous as Joe Biden. Harris will be even worse for our country than Joe Biden,” Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, who run Donald Trump’s campaign, said in a joint statement.

“In the coming days, the Party will undertake a transparent and disciplined process to move forward, as a united Democratic Party, with a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump in November,” party chairman Jaime Harrison wrote in a statement.

“You have made many difficult decisions that have made Poland, America and the world safer and democracy stronger. I know that you were driven by the same motivations when you announced your final decision. Probably the most difficult of your life,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.

“President Joe Biden is an American patriot who has always put our country first,” the California congresswoman said in a statement. “His legacy of vision, values, and leadership make him one of the most important presidents in American history,” she wrote, without mentioning Harris.

Donald Trump needs to make a strategic shift. “This is bad news for Trump,” Henry Olsen of the conservative think tank Ethics and Public Policy Center told AFP.

President Biden had “the lowest approval ratings ever recorded in a first term and is hopelessly burdened by his age,” the political analyst noted before the announcement. “It’s much better for Trump to run against him than against any other potential opponent.”

“The elections are in four months. This is a long period during which a lot can change. We must be attentive, follow what will happen,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Life.ru.

“My dear compatriots,

Over the past three and a half years, we have made great progress as a Nation.

Today, America has the strongest economy in the world. We’ve made historic investments in rebuilding our country, lowering the cost of drugs for seniors, and providing affordable health care to a record number of Americans. We’ve provided much-needed care to a million veterans exposed to toxic substances. We’ve passed the first gun safety law in 30 years. We’ve appointed the first African-American woman to the Supreme Court. And we’ve passed the most significant climate legislation in world history.

America has never been better positioned to lead the way than it is today.

I know that none of this would have been possible without you, the American people. Together, we have weathered a 100-year pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We have protected and preserved our democracy. And we have revitalized and strengthened our alliances around the world.

Serving as your President has been the greatest honor of my life. And while it was my intention to run again, I believe it is in the best interests of my party and the country that I step aside and focus solely on serving as President for the remainder of my term.

I will speak to the Nation in more detail about my decision later this week.

At this point, let me express my deep gratitude to all those who worked so hard to see me reelected. I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all of this work. And let me express my sincere gratitude to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me. I believe today what I have always believed: There is nothing America cannot do – when we do it together. We must simply remember that we are the United States of America.

Joe Biden »

Supported by Joe Biden as well as Hillary and Bill Clinton, Kamala Harris appears to be the natural candidate to take up the torch. Why would she make an excellent candidate? Answers with our journalist Anne-Fleur Andrle:

“We join millions of Americans in thanking President Joe Biden for all he has accomplished,” the Democratic couple said in a statement. “We are honored to join the President in supporting Vice President Harris.”

“Joe the crook was not fit to run and he is certainly not fit to hold office,” the Republican candidate said on his Truth Social network.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer on Sunday applauded Joe Biden as “a great patriot” after he announced his withdrawal from the race for the White House.

“His decision was obviously not an easy one to make, but he once again put his country, his party and our future first,” the Democratic leader said. “Joe, today shows what a great patriot you are,” he said.

President Joe Biden, who has just made the shock announcement that he is giving up his bid for a second term, must resign “immediately”, House Republican leader Mike Johnson said on Sunday.

“If Joe Biden is not fit to run for president, he is not fit to be president. He must resign immediately,” he wrote on X.

“Today, I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be our party’s nominee this year,” Biden said on X.

“I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to step aside and focus solely on serving as president for the remainder of my term,” Biden said in a statement, announcing that he would address the nation “later this week.”

Who will follow all the news about the race for the White House, shaken by Joe Biden’s withdrawal this evening.