Ladies and gentlemen, it’s been a whirlwind of emotions and breaking news in the political world. On Sunday, President Joe Biden announced his decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. This unexpected move left many in shock, including MSNBC host and former White House press secretary Jen Psaki, who reacted live on her show, “Inside with Jen Psaki.”
Psaki, visibly taken aback, shared her immediate thoughts after reading Biden’s letter, which had been posted on X. “There’s very little indication from people close to him and many people in the campaign that this was about to happen, as much as there were reports of Democrats calling on him to do that,” she said, reflecting the sudden nature of the announcement.
Speaking with her guest, The Bulwark’s Tim Miller, Psaki expressed the surprise felt by many.
“I don’t think either of us had any indication,” she said. “And I am always a believer that you have to share with the public what you know, and what you don’t know. We knew that there were lots of calls, but we had not been given any official indication, even as of 10 minutes ago, that decision had been made.” She even mentioned a conversation with senior adviser Keisha Lance Bottoms, who also had no prior indication of Biden’s decision.
Psaki, who served as Biden’s press secretary, seemed to get choked up while discussing his achievements and character.
“I am digesting this myself here, because I worked for him for a year and a half, and he is a remarkable person, a remarkable president. He has had such a tremendous presidency where he has overcome the odds and defied people’s expectations,” Psaki remarked. “People didn’t think he could pass an infrastructure bill, they didn’t think that he could lead through COVID, they didn’t think he could pull the countries together.” She praised his accomplishments and highlighted his human qualities, saying, “He did all of those things and will continue to do those things and also, is a deeply good human being.”
Shortly after his initial statement, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the presidential nominee. In his public letter, Biden reflected on his term and explained his decision.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president,” he wrote. “While it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interests 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.”
This decision comes at a crucial time for the Democratic Party, as Harris now steps up to secure enough delegates to officially become the nominee. With the Democratic National Convention in Chicago starting on August 19, the race is on to gather the necessary support.
