President Joe Biden, the Scranton native and former Delaware U.S. senator who rose to the world’s most powerful position, said Sunday he will withdraw from the presidential race, but will serve out his term.
Biden, 81, almost immediately endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” Biden said in a statement posted to social media at 1:46 p.m. “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 focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”
In a statement, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, who grew up and lives in Scranton, said Biden has “always dedicated himself to improving the lives of Americans."
"He deserves our gratitude for his historic achievements, including rebuilding our economy after the pandemic and delivering the largest infrastructure investment in modern history," Casey said. "He has had an exemplary career in public service. He is a patriot who has always put our country first."
U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright , D-8, Moosic, said he's thankful Biden stepped up and served at "a badly turbulent time, during a worldwide pandemic and its aftermath, and at a time when political compromise was especially difficult to achieve."
"In his decision today, we see the President’s integrity and commitment to the American people — hallmarks of his life in public service," Cartwright said. "I’ll always remember fondly the chance to work with a son of Northeastern Pennsylvania in the Oval Office, and I’ll always wish him and his family all the best.
Pressure on Biden to drop out mounted for weeks as Democrats feared he could not only lose the election, but hurt the party's chances in House and Senate races. Cartwright himself faces a stiff challenge from Republican businessman Rob Bresnahan, who ripped Democratic Party elites for hypocrisy by working "so flagrantly undermine democracy by politically knifing Joe Biden and the 14.5 million Americans who chose him as their party’s nominee for pesident."
Meuser: Dems 'lied for months'
Other Republicans gloated in Biden’s political demise.
U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-9, Luzerne County, portrayed Biden’s departure as inevitable because of his poor performance in the June 27 debate against former President Donald Trump. Intentionally referring incorrectly to Biden's party as "the Democrat Party," as Republicans often do, Meuser accused the party of bullying its nominee off the ballot, disenfranchising more than 950,000 voters in Pennslvania and 14.3 million nationwide.
“Democrat leaders lied to the American people for months,” Meuser said. “They knew Biden was unfit to serve, yet claimed what we were seeing with our own eyes were 'deep fakes.' But the debate exposed the truth … Now the Democrat machine and leftwing media has forced him out because they’ve been caught in their lies and know he can’t win. Their chickens have come home to roost."
In his own statement, Republican Pennsylvania U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick said Biden is incapable of serving as the nation’s commander in chief, but trained his harshest words on Casey, his Democratic opponent.
“Bob Casey is very close to Biden — he’s known this — but in typical Casey fashion, he’s been weak in his refusal to admit to Pennsylvanians that Biden is simply not up to the job. Keeping his head down when times get tough, that's who Bob Casey is,” McCormick said.
Shapiro praises Biden
Speculation is already turning to who might be Harris’ vice presidential pick if she’s the nominee.
The list includes Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. In a Northeast Pennsylvania stop Friday, Shapiro deflected a question about the topic.
“I think it's super unhelpful to engage in any hypotheticals,” Shapiro said Friday. “The President's made it clear. He's running. I support the president. I think you got a clear contrast in this race. I don't want to go back to the chaotic times of Donald Trump … I think the focus needs to not be on hypotheticals. The focus needs to be on the particular race we have before us and the clear differences between the two candidates.”
On X on Sunday, Shapiro said nothing about his own near future, but called Biden "a patriot who has served our country honorably in the Senate, as Vice President, and as one of the most consequential presidents in modern history. "
"President Biden has gotten an incredible amount done to move our country forward, defend our democracy, and protect real freedom," Shapiro said. "I am proud to work by his side and am grateful for his leadership and his unwavering commitment to delivering for Pennsylvania — the Commonwealth that raised him."
