Elections 2024 live: Joe Biden set to address nation from Oval Office on why he dropped out of presidential race

25 Jul 2024 • 7:10 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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President Joe Biden is set to give his first nationwide address since dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.

Tonight, from the Oval Office, the president will speak about his decision to withdraw his campaign and throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.

Biden will also tell Americans his plans for the final months of his presidency. The formal address will begin at 8 p.m. ET.

The Democratic campaign appears re-energized since Biden pulled out of the race on Sunday, with Harris quickly securing support from more than 64 percent of party delegates.

Harris has already hit the campaign trail. On Wednesday, the vice president spoke to attendees at the biannual Zeta Phi Beta sorority national convention in Indianapolis.

In her remarks, she warned potential voters about the dangers of another Donald Trump presidency.

“Do we want to live in a country of freedom, compassion and rule of law, or a country of chaos, fear and hate?” she asked.

Meanwhile, the former president responded to her remarks in his Charlotte rally, claiming she was a “radical” leftist.

Key Points

  • Biden to make a case for his legacy in Oval Office address
  • Harris previews Biden’s Oval Office address in remarks to sorority
  • Kamala Harris attacks Donald Trump in first campaign rally in Wisconsin
  • DNC Rules Committee adopts process for choosing presidential nominee
  • Trump commits to debating Harris

Progressive Democrats hopeful Harris would approach Israel policy differently to Biden

23:45

Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia and Katie Hawkinson report from Washington, DC.

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Trump campaign files election complaint to block Harris from Biden’s $90m war chest

23:30

Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump’s campaign has accused vice president Kamala Harris of committing a “heist” and a “brazen money grab” after she inherited President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign war chest.

Trump’s complaint with the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday accuses the president and vice president of running afoul of campaign finance laws by turning Biden’s now-ended campaign into the “Harris for President” campaign, allowing Harris to tap into more than $91m in the campaign’s coffers.

Alex Woodward explains what’s happening.

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Who Kamala called

23:15

Oliver O'Connell

The New York Times reports on how Kamala Harris took charge of her future at the head of the Democratic Party in the all-important 48 hours following the decision by President Joe Biden that he was not standing for re-election.

There was a sprawling call list waiting for her of all the key Democratic power brokers.

Per the Times:

“I wasn’t going to let this day go by without you hearing from me,” Ms. Harris had said over and over, as day turned to night, according to five people who received her calls or were briefed on them.

She phoned past Democratic presidents, many of her potential rivals — including Govs. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, JB Pritzker of Illinois and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania — the Democratic congressional leaders, Senator Bernie Sanders, the heads of the various influential caucuses and other top Democrats, a person with direct knowledge of the call list said.

The blitz demonstrated exactly the kind of vigor and energy that Mr. Biden had lacked in recent weeks. Mr. Biden had reportedly made 20 calls to congressional Democrats in the first 10 or so days after the debate, while his candidacy hung in the balance. Ms. Harris made 100 calls in 10 hours.

The paper quotes Howard Dean, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee and past presidential candidate, as saying: “It was a very well-orchestrated cascade.”

“I have to confess I am surprised myself how fast this has gone.”

Robby Mook, former campaign manager for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 run, called it “a perfect 48 hours”.

Full story: Netanyahu addresses Congress as scores of Democrats boycott

23:00

Oliver O'Connell

Israeli Prime Minister gave a full-throated speech in defense of his government’s war against Hamas in a joint address to Congress despite the fact that more than 38 Democrats boycotted the address.

The speech is Netanyahu’s fourth joint address to Congress. Netanyahu, the longest-serving prime minister in Israel’s history, received an uproarious applause. In the same way, he was flanked by many senior members of Congress and Senators. The speech comes as much of the international community has turned against Israel as it has conducted its war against Hamas after the terror group launched a surprise attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people.

Eric Garcia reports from Capitol Hill.

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Trump calls for immediate resignation of FBI director for not finding fault with Biden’s acuity

22:45

Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump was watching FBI director Christopher Wray’s testimony regarding the attempt on his life today and rather than noting the revelations regarding the shooter’s drone, research, or any other new information, he found another focus... Joe Biden.

Here’s what the former president wrote on Truth Social about the boss of the bureau (whom he appointed):

I watched the Congressional Hearing today as Christopher Wray was asked the question whether or not he noticed any Cognitive Degeneration in his many conversations with Crooked Joe Biden and, despite the fact that Special Counsel Robert Hur said, effectively, that Joe Biden is INCOMPETENT, with LITTLE MEMORY, etc., Wray said that “it is not something I observed during my interactions with him, which were uneventful and unremarkable,” essentially stating that he found nothing wrong, mentally or physically, with “Joe.” If that is the case, Director Wray should resign immediately from the FBI, and stop “sweet talking” Congress every time he goes up, which he loves to do, because anybody can see that Joe Biden is cognitively and physically challenged, and if you can’t see that, you sure as hell can’t be running the FBI - Unless, that is, you want to illegally lead the Raid on Mar-a-Lago. Wray has to resign, and NOW, for LYING TO CONGRESS!

JD Vance ignites fury among childfree community after calling Kamala Harris a ‘childless cat lady’

22:30

Oliver O'Connell

Childfree adults are outraged over past comments made by JD Vance about Vice President Kamala Harris, and how they’ve been judged simply for not having children.

In a resurfaced interview from 2021, Donald Trump’s newly-appointed running mate told former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that the country was run by “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable too.”

Meredith Clark reports.

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DNC Rules Committee adopts process for choosing presidential nominee

22:22

Alex Woodward

The Democratic National Committee’s rules committee has adopted rules for how the party will choose its nominee for the 2024 presidential election, following the decision by President Joe Biden to step aside.

  • Candidates for nomination must declare their candidacy by filing with the Convention’s Secretary. The window for submission opens shortly after the Rules are adopted by the Committee during their meeting, and closes at 6pm ET on July 27.
  • Candidates for nomination will have until 6pm ET on July 30 to demonstrate that they have met the qualifications for nomination, which include:

  1. File a formal and notarized declaration of candidacy with the DNC;\
  2. Meet Party and legal qualifications to be President; and
  3. Secure 300 delegate signatures electronically, not more than 50 of which may come from one delegation.

  • If only one candidate for nomination demonstrates they have met the above qualifications, electronic voting by the delegates may begin as soon as August 1.
  • If more than one candidate for nomination qualifies, the Rules specify that the DNCC Chair and the DNC Chair can allow a period no longer than five days in between the close of nominations for President (July 30) and the beginning of voting for candidates to make their case to delegates and the public.
  • The DNCC Chair and the DNC Chair may open voting on the Presidential nominee no earlier than August 1, 2024.
  • Only the votes of pledged delegates will be included in the count on the first ballot, unless a candidate has the verified support of a number of pledged delegates equal to or greater than a majority of all pledged and automatic delegates.
  • In the event that a nominating contest for President moves beyond the first ballot, the votes of pledged and automatic delegates will be counted in subsequent ballots.
  • A majority of Convention delegate ballots who are eligible to vote during that roll call shall be required to nominate the presidential candidate.
  • Once a Presidential nominee is selected, the nominee may place a Vice Presidential candidate into nomination. The Convention Chair may then declare that candidate to be the Vice Presidential nominee of the Democratic Party.
  • At the Convention in Chicago celebratory and ceremonial votes to recognize and affirm the presidential and vice presidential nominees of the Democratic Party will be taken, including a state-by-state roll call for the presidential nominee.

Kamala Harris arrives in Houston for teachers convention

22:18

Oliver O'Connell

All the times Kamala Harris went viral, from ‘coconut tree’ to ‘we did it, Joe'

22:15

Oliver O'Connell

Vice President Kamala Harris’s internet stardom didn’t just fall out of a coconut tree.

Long before she became a “brat” adored by Gen Z, Harris has made waves online for many viral moments, from the vice president enthusiastically showing off her dance moves to earnestly telling President Biden, “We did it, Joe!” in a phone call after he clinched the White House in 2020.

Kelly Rissman reports.

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Profile: Kamala Harris, unburdened and free to run for president

22:00

Oliver O'Connell

Kamala Harris, unburdened by what has been, finally sees what can be.

“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,” wrote President Joe Biden on X, shortly after announcing he would not run for re-election. “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.”

Read on...

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Watch: White House explains why Biden dropped out when he said he would not

21:45

Oliver O'Connell

Biden set to address nation days after dropping out of presidential race — here’s what you need to know

21:28

Ariana Baio

President Joe Biden is expected to address the nation on Wednesday evening in a televised speech that will touch on his decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race and his plans for the remaining three and a half months of his term.

The president’s highly anticipated address arrives three days after he told Americans in a letter that he would “stand down” from the campaign trail amid pressure from his colleagues.

While Biden’s announcement was not completely shocking, its timing is unprecedented, with roughly three months until election day. It is unclear if the president will speak about his timing’s impact on the election and voters.

Already, the president has spoken with some of his campaign staff calling the change “surprising” but Wednesday evening’s address is a more formal explanation.

Here’s what you need to know before watching.

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‘The only people that are going to listen to their racially-laced rants are... the racists”

21:20

Oliver O'Connell

Speaking to CBS News, Rep Jasmine Crockett of Texas said about the Republican claims that Vice President Kamala Harris is a “DEI” candidate: “I just need the Republicans to find some substance they can present to the American people, because the only people that are going to listen to their racially-laced rants are... the racists.”

DNC to stick with virtual roll call timeline if Harris only nominee

21:10

Oliver O'Connell

The Democratic National Convention still expects a virtual roll call vote for the party’s nominee to begin on August 1 if Kamala Harris is the only person running, The Hill reports.

Anyone wanting to pursue the nomination must declare between Thursday and 6pm on Saturday. They would then need to get 300 signatures (with no more than 50 delegates from any one state) by Tuesday. If only Harris is running then the August 1 timeline sticks.

So far, no one else has said they are running and the vice president has well over the number of delegates pledged to win. If Harris does win the nomination, the DNC expects her to pick a running mate by August 7.

The convention begins in Chicago on August 19.

What Biden dropping out of the 2024 race means for the Trump campaign

21:00

Oliver O'Connell

Ahmed Baba writes that the Trump campaign built their strategy around a very specific foe — and Biden dropping out is their worst nightmare come true.

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Watch: White House says Biden dropping out not about health

20:51

Oliver O'Connell

Biden to speak about ‘inflection point’ faced by country in Oval Office address

20:46

Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden will use tonight’s Oval Office address to speak to the nation about the choice Americans will make in this November’s presidential election and what led him to make the historic decision to stand down from his re-election bid, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has said.

Jean-Pierre told reporters at the daily White House press briefing that Biden, who on Sunday announced in a letter that he’d decided to step aside “in the best interests” of both his party and the country as a whole, would address that decision as well as “the inflection point we face as a country in this moment” when he speaks at 8:00 pm tonight.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

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Mark Kelly now heavy favorite to be Harris’ running mate

20:30

Oliver O'Connell

Arizona Senator Mark Kelly is now the most likely choice to become Kamala Harris’ running mate on the Democratic ticket, according to betting markets.

Josh Marcus reports.

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How can Joe Biden clear the deck for Kamala Harris

20:00

Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

In deciding to hand off the baton to Harris, Biden might have a chance to create a better on-ramp for his erstwhile running mate: clear the deck by doing all of the unpopular and unpleasant work to allow Harris to not have to face those difficult questions on the campaign trail.

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Black college alumni blast Fox News host who appears to call sorority ‘colored’ ahead of Kamala Harris speech

19:30

Oliver O'Connell

Democratic officials and alumni from historically Black college fraternities and sororities are fuming over a clip of a Fox News host they argue includes him saying “colored sorority” ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris’s remarks to the organization.

Fox News and other network personalities have argued that Fox & Friends panelist Brian Kilmeade said “college sorority” on Wednesday’s program. A reporter for Politico who initially flagged the clip on social media later deleted his post.

Alex Woodward reports on what unfolded this morning after the segment.

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Watch LIVE: Netanyahu addresses Congress for first time since October 7 attack on Israel

19:15

Oliver O'Connell

Rashida Tlaib attends Netanyahu speech to Congress

19:07

Oliver O'Connell

Tonight: Biden set to address nation for first time since dropping out of 2024 race

19:00

Oliver O'Connell

In a statement posted to X (formerly Twitter), Biden — who announced he was dropping out of the race on Sunday afternoon and endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris — said he would speak at 8 p.m.

Andrew Feinberg reports and will be leading our coverage tonight.

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18:40

Oliver O'Connell

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Meanwhile, Congress gathers for Netanyahu speech

18:34

Oliver O'Connell

The Independent’s Eric Garcia is watching proceedings from the House press gallery.

Harris earns biggest applause by saying ‘when I am president'

18:33

Oliver O'Connell

Vice President Kamala Harris spoke for about 14 minutes and got a loud standing ovation at the end of her remarks.

The biggest applause line came when she started to say what she would do on abortion rights and said “When I am president...” — the cheers drowned out the rest of the sentence.

She laid out her vision as affordable health care, mentioning the administration's insulin cost cap, getting children out of poverty, student debt relief, and “where the economy works for working people”.

Harris also talked about her role in elevating maternal health care, noting that Black women are three times more likely to die in childbirth.

“This has been a crisis in our country. And it is time that we recognize the crisis.”

There were roars of applause from the crowd when she said: “These extremists want to take us back, but we are not going back” in reference to Project 2025.

"Ours is a fight for freedom across our nation, we are witnessing a full-on assault on hard-fought, hard-won freedoms and rights. The freedom to vote. The freedom to be safe from gun violence, the freedom to live without fear of bigotry and hate. The freedom to love openly with pride. The freedom to learn, and acknowledge our true and full history. And the freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own.”

Watch: Harris calls Project 2025 ‘plan to return America to a dark past'

18:22

Oliver O'Connell

McCarthy slams ‘stupid and dumb’ Republicans for calling Harris a ‘DEI hire’

18:15

Oliver O'Connell

On Monday, GOP Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee accused presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris — who served as the San Francisco district attorney, the California attorney general, and a US senator before becoming the first woman, first African-American, and first Asian-American vice president in the nation’s history — of making it only because of her race.

Former speaker Kevin McCarthy was not impressed by the remarks, as Justin Rohrlich reports.

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18:01

Oliver O'Connell

Tonight, our President will address the nation about his decision to step down as a candidate, and he will talk about, not only the work, the extraordinary work that he has accomplished, but about his work in the next six months

18:00

Oliver O'Connell

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Harris begins remarks to sorority by previewing Biden’s Oval Office address this evening

17:56

Oliver O'Connell

Kamala Harris begins her remarks by saying that tonight President Joe Biden will address the nation to talk about his decision to step down and that he will talk not just about his extraordinary achievements, but what is to come in the next six months.

The vice president paid tribute to Biden’s record and dedication to public service.

“Joe Biden is a leader with bold vision. He cares about the future. He thinks about the future. He has extraordinary determination and profound compassion for the people of our country and I say that because I know that we are all deeply, deeply grateful for his service to our nation.”

LIVE: Kamala Harris delivers remarks at a sorority event

17:49

Oliver O'Connell

Watch: Harris campaign to brief Hollywood about getting involved

17:45

Oliver O'Connell

Gun control group March For Our Lives gives first-ever endorsement to Kamala Harris

17:30

Oliver O'Connell

March For Our Lives, the gun control group that rose to prominence after the Parkland High School massacre in 2018, has given its first-ever presidential endorsement to Kamala Harris.

“Kamala Harris has proven herself to be a thoughtful and forceful leader on gun violence, who has time and again listened to young people and fought for our lives,” said David Hogg, Co-Founder of March For Our Lives. “Given her strong record on gun safety and prioritizing youth voices during her time in office, I’m proud that Kamala Harris will receive March For Our Lives’ first-ever endorsement, and I’m so excited for our work to mobilize young people for her campaign.”

“The youth vote will make up the margin of victory in races up and down the ballot this year, and Harris is the candidate that we know can win those votes if she embraces a youth-focused agenda,” said Natalie Fall, Executive Director of March For Our Lives. “March For Our Lives will work to mobilize young people across the country to support Vice President Harris and other down-ballot candidates, with a particular focus on the states and races where we can make up the margin of victory—in Arizona, New York, Michigan, and Florida. We are ready to double down on this commitment and elect the first woman, first Black woman, and the first person of South Asian descent to become our next president.”

Listen: Newsom says he pities ‘flat-footed’ Trump with Harris ‘lighting it up’

17:15

Oliver O'Connell

Project 2025 author’s new book has forward by... JD Vance

17:00

Oliver O'Connell

As the Trump presidential campaign continues to try and disassociate itself from the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 manifesto, its author, Kevin Roberts, has a new book coming out in September: Dawn’s Early Light: Taking Back Washington to Save America.

The foreword is written by none other than Donald Trump’s running mate and vice presidential nominee, Ohio Senator JD Vance...

Here’s what Vance he had to say in his review: “Never before has a figure with Roberts’s depth and stature within the American Right tried to articulate a genuinely new future for conservatism... We are now all realizing that it’s time to circle the wagons and load the muskets. In the fights that lay ahead, these ideas are an essential weapon.”

Watch: Mark Kelly asked if he would accept VP role from Kamala Harris

16:55

Oliver O'Connell

In pictures: Kamala Harris heads to campaign event in Indianapolis

16:45

Oliver O'Connell

Vice President Kamala Harris is headed to Indianapolis today for a keynote speech to the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority. She will overnight in Houston, Texas, before speaking at a teachers union convention on Thursday.

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Anti-Trump group ‘Haley voters for Harris' told to ‘cease and desist’

16:30

Oliver O'Connell

A group of dissatisfied Nikki Haley voters who supported the former UN ambassador’s primary run for the Republican Party nomination has formed “Haley voters for Harris” to support presumptive Democrat nominee Kamala Hsrris in opposition to the candidacy of Donald Trump, whom Haley has now said she supports.

It would appear that Haley had her attorneys order them to “cease and desist,” and they have fired back with the below statement, which is now going viral.

They write: “We enthusiastically supported Nikki Haley over former President Trump in the primaries. Our rights to engage with likeminded voters and encourage them to vote for Kamala Harris — the clear better choice for the country — will not be suppressed.”

Read the full statement below:

Watch: New York Democrat Rep says Harris should pick Buttigieg as running mate

16:00

Oliver O'Connell

“I am and forever have been a Pete Buttigieg fan. I think he has just knocked it out of the park,” says Rep Pat Ryan.

15:30

Oliver O'Connell

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What is Kamala Harris’s net worth?

15:15

Joe Sommerlad

Here’s a little more background on the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee from Mike Bedigan.

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Raskin roasts Comer over Biden impeachment inquiry

14:45

Joe Sommerlad

This is just brutal from Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin.

Here’s a little more fun from Capitol Hill as the coconut becomes the unofficial symbol of the Harris campaign.

Did The Simpsons predict Kamala’s nomination?

14:15

Joe Sommerlad

Writer Al Jean has weighed in on another eerie forecast from the hit animated comedy, which has a bizarre knack for foreseeing the future, this time concerning the rise and rise of Kamala Harris.

Annabel Nugent reports.

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Voices: Why Harris might just be the perfect ‘brat girl’ president for Gen Z voters

13:45

Joe Sommerlad

Being “brat” isn’t just partying and being silly. Having rights is “brat”, being politically engaged is “brat”, Kamala is now “brat” and voting is “brat” too, writes Lauren Bulla.

Will this be how Gen Z and “Zillennials” get her to the White House?

Image from: Elections 2024 live: Joe Biden set to address nation from Oval Office on why he dropped out of presidential race