U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision yesterday to drop out of the 2024 presidential election yesterday completely upends the presidential contest, just over 100 days before the election. Biden’s decision means that one of voters’ major concerns about the Democratic candidate—his age—is no longer a factor, but whether or not this changes the broader fundamentals of the race will depend on who the new nominee is.
As of now, the Democratic Party appears to be uniting around Vice President Kamala Harris, and after a nearly month-long damaging news cycle for Democrats, her emergence as the clear frontrunner to replace Biden has generated an enormous shift in mood and momentum in the Democratic camp.
Of course, 100 days is an eternity in U.S. electoral politics, so rather than speculate about what will happen, we’re taking today’s newsletter to look at what this news means for Biden. Although he still has nearly six months left in his term, Biden’s decision to end his bid for reelection yesterday essentially closes the book on his stewardship of U.S. foreign policy and kicks off the debate about what his legacy will be.