Hope Sloop
U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he would not accept the Democratic nomination and seek reelection. Social media has since erupted with reactions from celebrities and politicians alike, including George Clooney, former President Barack Obama, Jamie Lee Curtis, John Legend and more.
In a post to X, the incumbent commander-in-chief, 81, shared that he would step aside and pave the way for Vice President Kamala Harris to accept the nomination after one term. Immediately, actors, singers and more began weighing in on the decision following the announcement.
“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,” Biden wrote in a message posted to X.
He continued, “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. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
It was just a few weeks ago that Clooney called upon the president to drop out of the race in a New York Times op-ed after the first debate between Biden and the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump. In that debate, Biden stumbled several times and coughed heavily throughout, leading many to question his ability to lead the country for four more years.
“Was he tired? Yes. A cold? Maybe. But our party leaders need to stop telling us that 51 million people didn’t see what we just saw,” Clooney wrote in his article. “We’re all so terrified by the prospect of a second Trump term that we’ve opted to ignore every warning sign. The George Stephanopoulos interview only reinforced what we saw the week before.”
The Ocean’s Eleven actor’s sentiments were echoed in the proceeding weeks by Biden’s Democratic counterparts and constituents who cited his age and mental acuity as causes for concern. Biden’s step down now paves the way for Vice President Kamala Harris to take the nomination.
On Tuesday, in a statement to CNN, Clooney thanked Biden for his service and voiced his support for Harris.
“President Biden has shown what true leadership is. He’s saving democracy once again. We’re all so excited to do whatever we can to support Vice President Harris in her historic quest,” the statement to CNN read via a tweet from Jake Tapper.
Since Biden’s announcement on Sunday, reactions have continued to pour in from the former Delaware senator’s friends and co-workers from his decades in politics — including Obama, 62, with whom he served in the White House from 2008 to 2016. In the post, Obama applauded Biden for stepping aside and thanked him for his service.
“Joe Biden has been one of America’s most consequential presidents, as well as a dear friend and partner to me. Today, we’ve also been reminded – again – that he’s a patriot of the highest order,” Obama wrote in a lengthy statement.
“Sixteen years ago, when I began my search for a vice president, I knew about Joe’s remarkable career in public service. But 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,” he continued, adding, “I also know Joe has never backed down from a fight. For him to look at the political landscape and decide that he should pass the torch to a new nominee is surely one of the toughest in his life.”
“But I know he wouldn’t make this decision unless he believed it was right for America. It’s a testament to Joe Biden’s love of country — and a historic example of a genuine public servant once again putting the interests of the American people ahead of his own that future generations of leaders will do well to follow,” the former president shared.
Over on Instagram, stars like Curtis, Legend and Bros star Billy Eichner similarly thanked POTUS for listening to growing concerns and allowing Democrats to revamp their ticket with four months until the General Election.
“GOD BLESS YOU @joebiden for your LEADERSHIP, GRACE UNDER PRESSURE, STRENGTH and RESILIENCE! Your country THANKS YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!] 📷 @drewangerer,” wrote Curtis, 65, in an Instagram post.
“Thank you @joebiden. Now let’s unite because Donald Trump is a psychopath and a danger to our country and the entire world. As a wise man once shouted, LET’S GO LESBIANS, LET’S GO!!!!!!!!!! 🇺🇸🥳,” wrote Eichner, sharing a pic with Biden.
“Joe Biden has presided over the most consequential first term of real progress in my lifetime. He helped us have the most robust recovery from the pandemic of any nation in the world, invested in our infrastructure and made by far the largest investment in fighting climate change our nation has ever seen,” Legend, 45, wrote.
The “All of Me” singer continued, “He relieved burdensome college debt for so many. Unemployment, inflation and crime are all down dramatically from the highs caused by the pandemic.”
Naomi Biden, the President’s granddaughter, took to X to share her thoughts on her grandfather deciding to step aside. In her post, she calls Biden the “most effective and impactful public servant in our nation’s history” and thanks him for his commitment to the country’s citizens.
“I’m nothing but proud today of my Pop, our President, Joe Biden, who has served our country with every bit of his soul and with unmatched distinction. Not only has he been—and will continue to be—the most effective president of our lifetime, but he has likely already cemented himself as the most effective and impactful public servant in our nation’s history,” Naomi penned in a message posted to X.
“He has been at the center of, and had a material impact on, literally every single major issue that our country and world has faced for 50 years. Our world is better today in so many ways thanks to him. To the Americans who have always had his back, keep the faith. He will always have ours,” she wrote.
In response, Harris, the former California senator and San Francisco district attorney, 59, issued a statement of her own, thanking Biden for his work and promising to unite the party heading into the upcoming election.
“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. I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” she wrote on Sunday.
“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,” Harris’ statement reads.
See more stars’ reactions to Biden’s announcement below:
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