President Joe Biden announced his decision not to accept the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, and focus his energies instead on the remainder of his term. He is endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the party nominee.

“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,” he wrote in a post on the X platform.

In a letter, also posted on X, Biden addressed fellow Americans, speaking to his accomplishments as President of the United States. He said he would share more about his decision later this week.

pic.twitter.com/RMIRvlSOYw

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024

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. 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… pic.twitter.com/x8DnvuImJV

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024

Hawaiʻi Gov. Josh Green, M.D. responded to the news saying:

“President Biden and his family have made this decision, which I said all along was his and theirs to make. I have no doubt that it was a difficult decision and in this, I thank him again for his selfless leadership,” said Governor Green.

“On behalf of the state of Hawaiʻi, especially the residents of Maui, I express our forever-gratitude to President Biden for granting wildfire disaster relief within an unprecedented six hours of our making the request in a time of our people’s deepest need.”

US Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today released a statement on Biden’s announcement saying:

“For over 50 years, Joe Biden has been a selfless patriot and dedicated public servant who’s given everything to the country he so dearly loves. As a senator, vice president, and now president, he has spent most of his life working to make people’s lives better and the world safer. Today, yet again, he has put the country before himself, making the best choice for the American people in this uniquely consequential moment. For that, and for his lifetime of service, we should all be deeply grateful.

“It’s not an overstatement to say Joe Biden has been and is the most consequential president of our lifetimes. His legislative accomplishments speak for themselves and will endure for generations to come. He took the biggest climate action in human history. He cut the cost of prescription drugs for seniors and made our communities safer by passing long-overdue gun reform. He’s also revitalized our nation’s infrastructure and strengthened our alliances around the world.

“There’s no question Americans today are better off because of Joe Biden.”

Congressman Case issued a statement saying: “Words cannot fully express the moment. As he has all his life, as have our greatest leaders, President Biden put his country before himself. I am deeply grateful for his service, especially to our Hawai’i, and will continue to work fully with him and his administration throughout his term. The path ahead is difficult and I will take some limited time to discuss with my constituents and colleagues the best way forward on a Democratic nominee.”

Today is about President Biden and his legacy of service to country first.”

US Rep. Jill Tokuda of Hawaiʻi commented on the X platform saying, “President Biden is a great President. He pulled this country through some of our toughest times and made investments that will benefit generations. My hope is that history will treat him better than he has been treated these last few months. Mahalo Mr. President.”

Vice President Kamala Harris released a statement that was distributed via email from the Biden for President campaign. She said:

“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 first came to know President Biden through his son Beau. We were friends from our days working together as Attorneys General of our home states. As we worked together, Beau would tell me stories about his Dad. The kind of father—and the kind of man—he was. And the qualities Beau revered in his father are the same qualities, the same values, I have seen every single day in Joe’s leadership as President: His honesty and integrity. His big heart and commitment to his faith and his family. And his love of our country and the American people. 

“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. 

“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination. 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.”