US President Joe Biden has decided not to seek reelection, and instead endorsed his Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic Party nomination.
- •The news follows weeks of concern within the Democratic Party about President Biden’s health, especially after months of incidents where he appeared confused.
- •It is likely a boost to former US President Donald J. Trump, who now does not have to face an incumbent in November.
- •With just four months to the elections, it likely places VP Kamala Harris at a disadvantage, as she has to play catch up to Trump.
“I believe that it is in the best interest of my party and the country for meto stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden said in a statement on Sunday. After his exit, Trump reportedly told CNN that Biden will go down as “the single worst president by far in the history” of the United States.
The rare historic decision is the first in five decades, since President Lyndon Johnson decided not to run for re-election in 1968. It is likely that its rarity, the short window for the Democratic party rally around another candidate to defeat Trump, as well as recent events such as the attempt on Trump’s life, will reshape US politics over the next few months.
Why Biden’s Exit Matters
The US’ primary role in the globe has been undergoing a critical transformation since Trump beat Hillary Clinton in 2016. The election of a relative outsider, especially one who built a campaign about placing America first, saw the US begin rescinding its primary ‘global policeman’ role. But Trump’s election also opened new fissures in how other countries relate with Washington, and his reelection would likely re-trigger that process.
Biden’s decision to quit comes just two months after he met President William Ruto in Washington in a state visit where they announced a raft of deals that are likely to be on the line if Trump is elected in November, or even if the new Democratic Party nominee decides on a different route. It also comes just weeks after Kenya begun deploying police officers to help pacify Haiti as the lead in a deal driven primarily by the Biden administration at the UN.
But it is could also give President Ruto some breathing space, since events at home since May have reshaped his continuing efforts to be Washington’s main man in the region. The likely reshaping of how the US interacts with Nairobi, especially in light of ongoing protests that have left over 50 people dead and hundreds injured, will depend on which side the die falls in November.
Read More in tomorrow’s issue of The Weekly Brief by The Kenyan Wall Street.
