SAN DIEGO (CNS) - San Diego County elected officials were weighing in Sunday on President Joe Biden's announcement that he's withdrawing from the 2024 presidential campaign.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria called Biden a "leader, patriot and true public servant who has always put the good of the country first."
"His record of accomplishment means history will surely count him as one of America's most effective presidents," Gloria -- a Democrat -- wrote on X. "His decision today reinforces all of these facts. I must also express my gratitude to the president for his support of San Diego. He has delivered for our city and its people time and time again."
County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Nora Vargas said Biden "fought for our Democratic values, and we owe him a debt of gratitude for all he accomplished to uplift working class families over his long career in public service. As Democrats, we must now come together in unity to support the next Democratic nominee for President of the United States. There is no one better qualified to serve in this role than Vice President Kamala Harris. I will work tirelessly to help get her elected to the White House in November. She is exactly the leader we need to lead our country and make the American Dream available to all, not just an elite few.
"I've had the great opportunity to work with Kamala Harris on issues affecting California and our country. I believe that she's a fierce, smart, compassionate leader who won't back down until the job is done and everyone has a true chance to build a better life for themselves and their families," Vargas added.
Biden had repeatedly rejected calls from Democrats in Congress to drop out of the race, brushing off concerns about his age and fitness to withstand the rigors of a national campaign against Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump.
However, reports surfaced in recent days that the president might be reconsidering his stance as he remained secluded in Delaware after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier this week.
He abruptly reversed course Sunday.
"It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. 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 to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term," the president said in a statement released shortly after 10:30 a.m. Pacific time.
"I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision," he added.
Biden's initial message did not express his preference for who should take his place at the top of the ticket, but he posted another statement about 30 minutes later endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.
"My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term," the statement said. "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. 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."
Harris is a Brentwood resident and former California attorney general and senator.
Harris released the following statement Sunday afternoon:
"On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country. His remarkable legacy of accomplishment is unmatched in modern American history, surpassing the legacy of many Presidents who have served two terms in office. It is a profound honor to serve as his Vice President, and I am deeply grateful to the President, Dr. Biden, and the entire Biden family.
" ... I am honored to have the President's endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination," she continued. "Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election. And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead. I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party -- and unite our nation -- to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda. We have 107 days until Election Day. Together, we will fight. And together, we will win."
The Democratic Party is now faced with a possible rift between those backing Harris and others who favor an open competition before the Democratic National Convention, which will be held in Chicago from Aug. 19-22.
Trump wasted little time in weighing in on the withdrawal of the man who beat him in the 2020 election.
"Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve - And never was!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. "He only attained the position of President by lies, Fake News, and not leaving his Basement. All those around him, including his Doctor and the Media, knew that he wasn't capable of being President, and he wasn't - And now, look what he's done to our Country, with millions of people coming across our Border, totally unchecked and unvetted, many from prisons, mental institutions, and record numbers of terrorists. We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has done very quickly. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"
Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, Trump campaign senior advisors, elaborated on that criticism with a statement that slammed Biden for his record on immigration, crime, the economy and foreign affairs.
"And during this entire term, Kamala Harris -- as well as every other Democrat in Washington, sat by and did nothing. They are all just as complicit as Biden is in the destruction of our once-great Nation, and they must all be thrown out of office," they wrote.
"Kamala Harris is just as much of joke as Biden is. Harris will be even worse for the people of our Nation than Joe Biden. Harris has been the Enabler in Chief for Crooked Joe this entire time. They own each other's records, and there is no distance between the two. Harris must defend the failed Biden Administration and her liberal, weak-on-crime record in CA."
Congressman Mike Levin also released a statement supporting Biden's decision to drop out and endorsing Harris:
“President Biden’s decision is incredibly patriotic and the right thing to do. He put country first. I want to thank President Biden for his decades of public service to our country and his historic presidency. He has led our country with unwavering courage, conviction and strength. Our nation, and the entire free world, is better off because of his leadership.
“Now, we must come together to prevail against the incalculable threat Donald Trump poses to the American institutions of freedom and democracy. Trump seeks to overthrow the values and principles that have guided us towards justice and prosperity for nearly two and a half centuries. We cannot let him do that.
“I’m proud to follow President Biden’s lead in endorsing Kamala Harris to be our Democratic Presidential nominee. Vice President Harris is the right person to lead our nation forward and defeat Donald Trump and his extremist policies.
“It is time to move forward with Kamala Harris as our new leader. Together.”
Rep. Scott Peters says Biden made a selfless decision, putting the country first.
"Joe Biden is a selfless, patriotic man with a servant's heart who history will remember for his tremendous accomplishments and for making this heroic decision to put country over self. I know how difficult this decision must have been for President Biden and his family, but I feel strongly that it will help our party defeat Donald Trump. I have full confidence in his ability to continue leading our country as he has done dutifully for the past three and a half years. We all owe President Biden immense gratitude."
Encinitas Mayor Tony Kranz told City News Service that Biden's decision to end his campaign "was the right thing to do."
"I know it was through prayer that he made the choice he did, because he's a man of great faith," Kranz said. "It had become quite clear to most people that to continue his campaign was increasing the likelihood that the leader of the Republican Party, who's crazy as a loon, would be elected to serve as president again. This would be terrible for our city, county, state and country -- in fact the world would be in great peril by another term with Trump as president. Now we can focus on electing someone younger and more fit to represent our nation."
But Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Escondido, was quick to criticize Biden's time in the White House.
"We've had four years of Democratic chaos -- at the border, in business, overseas, in our schools and on our streets. Joe Biden, Kamala Harris led all of it," he said.
And County Supervisor Jim Desmond, a Republican, wondered why Biden was "remaining as president for the remainder of his term when it's clear he is unable to fulfill his duties?"
"The reality is, if Biden were up in the polls he would remain in the race," Desmond added. "This isn't about Biden's cognitive decline which we've known for years. It's about lagging poll numbers."
State Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Crescent City, said Biden "has led our nation with incredible skill, heart, and determination. His presidency has implemented generational change. Through his leadership, America's economy is back from the abyss, he's created a record number of jobs for working families, he's reinvested in rural America, doubled the stock market, stood strong for reproductive rights and, because of his steady hand, America is back as a beacon of hope for the rest of the world. His leadership has been nothing short of tremendous, especially coming out of a global pandemic. California is deeply grateful for his tireless dedication to this nation we all love to call home."
State Sen. Steve Padilla, D-San Diego, said Biden "has dedicated his entire life to the service of the American people. ... Under his leadership as President, America made unprecedented investments in our response to climate change, lowered health care costs for millions, and overcame the deadliest pandemic in over a century. He entered office in a time of uncertainty, but will leave with a legacy and body of work the likes of which few politicians will ever achieve. His decision to step aside will be remembered as one of the single most selfless acts of patriotism in our country's history."
California's junior Democratic senator, Laphonza Butler, said: "Our nation owes President Biden a debt of gratitude for his service and patriotism, especially in making such a difficult decision. Thanks to his leadership, the American people have witnessed historic investments in education, infrastructure, and so much more. The threat to all that progress remains, and we must now do everything we can to ensure Vice President Harris succeeds. There's no one better prepared for this challenge."
The state's senior senator, Democrat Alex Padilla, wrote that "Today, President Biden put our country first, as he has done throughout his public service career."
Former President Barack Obama, under whom Biden served for eight years as vice president, released a lengthy statement praising Biden for his friendship and his record as president.
"Sixteen years ago, when I began my search for a vice president, I knew about Joe's remarkable career in public service. But what I came to admire even more was his character -- his deep empathy and hard-earned resilience; his fundamental decency and belief that everyone counts," Obama said.
"Since taking office, President Biden has displayed that character again and again. ... President Biden pointed us away from the four years of chaos, falsehood, and division that had characterized Donald Trump's administration."
The former president avoided making an endorsement of who should replace Biden on the ticket.
"We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges," he wrote.
