President Joe Biden bowed out of his 2024 reelection bid on Sunday.
The commander in chief said in a statement that serving as president “has been the greatest honor of my life” and that he now believes “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.”
At 81, Biden is the oldest president in American history. The Democrat’s ability to beat Republican Donald Trump in this fall’s election has increasingly been called into question since last month’s presidential debate, when Biden appeared to move slowly and to be unable to coherently answer some questions.
“President Biden is one of the greatest leaders our country has known,” the Utah Democratic Party said in a statement moments after Biden’s announcement. “His administration has made historic investments in our economy, defended democracy overseas, and fought for civil rights at home. We are sincerely thankful for everything he’s done for our country.”
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) President Joe Biden takes a selfie with Oscar Mata from the Utah Democratic Party, at the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, on Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023.
In a separate statement, Utah Democratic Party Chair Diane Lewis said, “President Biden is one of the most transformational presidents in the history of our country. From leading our country through the COVID-19 pandemic, to supporting democracy abroad, to defending our reproductive freedoms and civil rights, the Biden-Harris Administration has led America through some of its darkest moments.”
She added, “It is critical that Democrats remain united against Donald Trump, and that we keep his MAGA agenda from undoing all of President Biden’s accomplishments. We remain dedicated to getting Democrats elected across our cities, our state, and our country.”
[READ: What Democrats have to do to get a presidential candidate on the ballot in Utah.]
Utah Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, a Democrat, said, “I commend President Joe Biden for his unwavering integrity and commendable leadership in making the difficult decision to step down from the nomination, a move that resonates with the American values of resilience and unity.”
She added that Biden’s “decision embodies the values of our party and mirrors the strength of our nation — that we prioritize the overall progress of the country over personal gain.”
“We extend our gratitude to President Biden for his distinguished service to the United States,” Utah House Minority Leader Angela Romero said in a statement from Utah House Democrats. “Throughout his tenure, he has shown unwavering integrity and commitment to the American people. His leadership has made a lasting impact on both our nation and the state of Utah.”
Biden, on Sunday, also endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to run in his stead.
Two Utah Republicans in Congress are upset Biden isn’t also leaving the White House.
U.S. Sen. Mike Lee said Biden leaving the 2024 presidential race and not the White House “feels like cheating.”
“If he were stepping down from both the presidency and his candidacy, he could more credibly argue that he’s doing this because of health and age,” the Utah Republican senator said on X. “But stepping down from one and not the other feels like cheating.”
Lee added, “They keep him in office as long as they can, while hiding his condition from the public.”
Republican U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens shared Lee’s sentiment.
“If Joe Biden is unfit to run for reelection, he’s unfit to continue serving as president,” Owens posted Sunday afternoon. “The Democratic Party will now engage in a completely undemocratic process to find a new candidate, who Donald J. Trump will beat in a landslide this November.”
U.S. Rep. John Curtis, who is running for outgoing Sen. Mitt Romney’s seat, said in a statement, “It is deeply concerning to have witnessed President Biden’s decline during his time in the White House.”
“His decision to not seek a second term is the best for our country,” Curtis added. “We have watched Democrats spend the past four years driving up inflation, destroying our border security, and faltering in international leadership.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney said he and Biden “usually didn’t see eye-to-eye,” but he and the president found common ground on policies such as infrastructure development, Ukraine and religious liberty protections.
“Others will judge his presidency,” Romney said in a statement. “However, having worked with him these past few years, I respect President Biden. His decision to withdraw from the race was right and is in the best interest of the country.”
Utah Republican Party Chair Rob Axson said in a statement, “The Democratic Party is finally admitting what everyone watching could see for years, no one more than Kamala Harris.”
Axson said Harris and Jill Biden, the president’s wife, were best positioned to see “how dire things were,” seeming to refer to Joe Biden’s actions and health.
“The truth is that the [Democrats] don’t trust Americans to vet candidates,” Axson posted on X. “Now [Democratic] Party bosses will make the choice — how democratic. What a disservice to the process and a clear disregard for the American public.”
Democratic candidate Caroline Gleich — who faces Curtis in Utah’s U.S. Senate election this fall — expressed her “deepest gratitude” to Biden “for his five decades of public service.”
The winner of that U.S. Senate election will replace Sen. Mitt Romney, who announced he was retiring last fall.
“Now, let’s come together and unite to defeat Donald Trump and usher a new generation of leadership to Washington, D.C,” Gleich said.
Emma Fetzer, the president of Young Democrats of Utah, also said she was thankful for Biden’s legacy of service.
“I am grateful for everything President Biden has accomplished for young people during his term and commend his courage to step down,” Fetzer told The Salt Lake Tribune. “I am looking forward to uniting behind a candidate that will continue to govern with younger generations in mind.”
Update, July 23, 8 a.m. • This story has been updated to include a statement from Sen. Mitt Romney and Rep. John Curtis.