Get to work.
It was a message immediately conveyed by supporters of President Joe Biden after he announced he was dropping out of the race for president and endorsed Kamala Harris, his vice president, for the job.
“Proud of our president, who will go down in history as a great statesman, and proud to endorse our vice president, who has the energy, courage, and vision to beat Donald Trump. Now let’s come together and get to work!” said U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass.
A week after Biden’s disastrous debate performance against Republican and former President Donald Trump, Moulton was one of the first to call for Biden to leave the race.
“President Biden has done enormous service to our country, but now is the time for him to follow in one of our founding father, George Washington’s, footsteps and step aside to let new leaders rise up and run against Donald Trump,” Moulton had said.
Biden’s announcement, which came early Sunday afternoon on the social media site X (formerly Twitter), led to a busy day of presidential politics. The announcement is the latest jolt to a tumultuous campaign for the White House, coming a week after the attempted assassination of Trump at a Pennsylvania rally.
After Biden’s announcement, Harris was also immediately endorsed by former Democratic President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, who ran unsuccessfully against Trump in 2016.
Harris said she was honored to win Biden’s endorsement and that her intention is “to earn and win this nomination.”
“With this selfless and patriotic act, President Biden is doing what he has done throughout his life of service: putting the American people and our country above everything else. … Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election,” she said. “
“And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead,” Harris added. “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,” Harris said in a social media statement.
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., praised Biden’s decision and simultaneously endorsed Harris.
“I endorse Kamala Harris for president. She is a proven fighter who has been a national leader in safeguarding consumers and protecting access to abortion,” Warren said.
“As a former prosecutor, she can press a forceful case against allowing Donald Trump to regain the White House. We have many talented people in our party, but Vice President Harris is the person who was chosen by the voters to succeed Joe Biden if needed,” Harris added. “She can unite our party, take on Donald Trump, and win in November,” Warren said.
Fellow U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., echoed similar sentiments.
“Kamala Harris is battle-tested and ready to serve,” he said. “She will galvanize voters and make history on Election Day. All in for Kamala.”
“From reunifying NATO, to passing the largest climate investment in our history, President Joe Biden has helped save democracy and the planet. He has a record unmatched in modern U.S. history, and I am forever grateful for his service and friendship,” Markey added.
Lifetime of service
Biden’s decision to leave the race received overwhelming praise from members of the Democratic Party, including Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey.
“Joe Biden ran for president to restore the soul of our country and defeat the greatest threat our democracy has ever seen. and that’s exactly what he did. Few could have risen to the challenge the way Joe Biden has,” Healey said. “He has restored our economy, defended our freedoms, and protected democracy at home and abroad. He has led with decency, empathy and brought Americans together.
“President Biden’s decision today not to seek reelection is the ultimate example of putting the country first – something Joe Biden has done over and over again in his unparalleled career,” she added. “We are all deeply grateful to President Biden for his lifetime of service. Thank you, Mr. President.”
Juana Matias, a former Massachusetts state representative from Lawrence, works in a Housing and Urban Development role with the Biden administration.
In a tweet Sunday, she thanked Biden for his “unwavering service to America.”
“President Biden’s legacy of transformative policies & commitment to progress will endure and inspire generations to come. It’s the honor of a lifetime to serve the Biden-Harris administration,” Matias said.
U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, a Westford Democrat, credited Biden with saving “our democracy in 2020” and said he has worked with House Democrats to deliver unprecedented progress for the American people.
“President Biden’s decision to pass the baton positions us to defeat Donald Trump again this November and build on the work we’ve done,” Trahan said.
U.S. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said Biden has served the country with honor and dignity.
“As the first president to ever walk on a picket line with striking workers, he has been the most pro-working class president in modern American history. Thank you, Mr. President, for all you’ve done,” Sanders said Sunday.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., described Biden as “a true patriot and great American.”
He said Biden “has not only been a great president and a great legislative leader but he’s a truly amazing human being. His decision of course was not easy, but he once again put his country, his party, and our future first.”
U.S. presidential historian Michael Beschloss said in stepping aside, Biden “has shown how much and how genuinely he loves and wants to preserve democracy. He has done one of the most difficult things for any political leader, and has done so in the national interest.
Follow staff reporter Jill Harmacinski on Twitter/X @EagleTribJill.