Former President Barack Obama called Biden, his former vice president, "one of America’s most consequential presidents, as well as a dear friend and partner to me." Obama said Sunday in a statement that when he picked Biden as his running mate in the 2008 campaign, “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.”
As president, Obama said Biden "has displayed that character again and again," citing Biden’s leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and achievements on climate change legislation, among others.
What Obama said for Trump
Obama also said Biden, in defeating Trump four years ago, “reminded us of who we are at our best-- a country committed to old-fashioned values like trust and honesty, kindness and hard work; a country that believes in democracy, rule of law, and accountability; a country that insists that everyone, no matter who they are, has a voice and deserves a chance at a better life.”
In opting to shutter his reelection bid, Obama said Biden “has never backed down from a fight,” adding that “he wouldn’t make this decision unless he believed it was right for America.
Of what’s to come, Obama said he has “extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges.”
Trump's first reaction on Biden's pull out
Earlier today, minutes after Biden pulled out of the race, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said that he thinks Vice President Kamala Harris will be easier to defeat in November's election than the 81-year-old leader. CNN said the Republican former president made the comments to the network shortly after Biden announced his decision.
Trump also later attacked Biden on social media, saying that Biden was unfit to continue serving as president. On his Truth Social platform on Sunday, Trump said Biden "was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve." Other top Republicans, including House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson, also said Biden was not fit to serve as president and finish his term if he was stepping aside as the Democratic presidential candidate. Johnson explicitly called on Biden to resign.
(With inputs from agency)
