Republicans on Sunday insisted that if President Biden is unfit to run for president in 2024, he should also resign immediately. They also immediately began attacking Vice President Kamala Harris.
In a statement Sunday afternoon, Joe Biden announced that he would not be at the top of the Democratic ticket in November and endorsed Harris to take his place.
“If Joe Biden is not fit to run for president, he is not fit to serve as president. He must resign immediately. November 5 cannot come soon enough,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., wrote on X.
“If Joe Biden ends his re-election campaign, how can he justify remaining president?” asked the recently nominated vice presidential candidate, Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio.
Republicans insisted Sunday that if President Biden is unfit to run for president in 2024, he should also resign immediately — and immediately went on the attack against Vice President Kamala Harris
He lashed out at Harris: “As second in command and a thoroughly inept border czar, Harris has been a gleeful accomplice — not only in the destruction of American sovereignty, security and prosperity, but also in the greatest political cover-up in American history. She has known of his inability to serve as long as anyone.”
“If Joe is too weak to remain in the race for president, he should immediately resign as our commander in chief,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Republican of Tennessee, wrote on X, just seconds after the breaking news.
“If Joe Biden is unable to run for re-election, he is incapable and unfit to serve as President of the United States and must resign immediately,” House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik added in her own message.
“Then resign. If you can’t run a simple political campaign, you can’t be president,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., wrote on X.
“If Joe Biden is not fit to be the Democratic nominee for president, he is not fit to be president for the remainder of his term. For the good of the country, Joe Biden must resign immediately,” Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., wrote on X.
It is unlikely that Republican calls for his immediate resignation would have any impact on Biden. His decision to withdraw from the race for a new term was prompted by pressure from calls from his own side to step aside.
In a statement on Sunday afternoon, Joe Biden announced that he would not be at the top of the Democratic ticket in November
If Biden were to leave office, Harris would become president and would have to nominate a vice president who would need to be confirmed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
“While it was my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interests of my party and the country to step down and focus exclusively on fulfilling the duties of my president for the remainder of my term,” Biden wrote in a statement Sunday.
“If Joe Biden is no longer able to run for re-election, he is no longer able to serve as president,” Republican Senate campaign manager Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, wrote on X.
“Being president is the most difficult job in the world and I no longer have confidence that Joe Biden can effectively carry out his duties.”
The 81-year-old shocked Washington on Sunday when he resigned after weeks of questions about his fitness to serve following his disastrous performance at the presidential debate, in which he made a series of gaffes from which he was unable to recover.
His historic move came 24 days after the debate, after a 50-year career in politics that culminated in the White House.
Biden said he would elaborate on his decision in an address to the nation later this week.
Last week, Biden was pulled from the campaign trail after being diagnosed with COVID-19 during a West Coast swing, fueling further speculation that he would soon withdraw from the race.
It came after a confrontation with Trump last month, in which Biden was often seen in split screen with his mouth open and a million-mile blank stare. During his time on stage, the president stumbled, froze, lost his train of thought and mumbled answers to questions from the moderator.