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By Gabe Whisnant
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Former President Barack Obama released a statement Sunday following President Joe Biden's announcement that he would leave the presidential race, but he stopped short of endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for the top of the ticket.
Obama's statement read in part: "We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges.
"I believe that Joe Biden's vision of a generous, prosperous, and united America that provides opportunity for everyone will be on full display at the Democratic convention in August. And I expect that every single one of us are prepared to carry that message of hope and progress forward into November and beyond."
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Just after his initial announcement, Biden, who served as Obama's vice president through both of his terms, threw his support behind Harris.
"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 said.
In addition, former Democratic President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, put their support behind Harris after Biden's announcement.
"We are honored to join the president in endorsing Vice President Harris and will do whatever we can to support her," the Clintons declared in their joint statement. This endorsement carries particular weight given Hillary Clinton's own political journey and her previous bid for the presidency.
In an email Sunday afternoon, a source familiar with Obama told Newsweek, "Just like he did in 2020, once Joe Biden earned the nomination, President Obama believes he will be uniquely positioned to help unite the party once we have a nominee, lift up that candidate, and do everything he can to get that candidate elected in November."
In addition to growing pressure from Democratic lawmakers, The Associated Press reported on Thursday that Obama was "expressing concerns to allies" about Biden's chances in November.
The report, which was based "in part on information from almost a dozen people who insisted on anonymity," said that Obama had told allies "that Biden needs to consider the viability of his campaign, but has also made clear that the decision is one Biden needs to make."
According to people who spoke with The New York Times, Biden, while recovering from COVID-19, grew "irritated" with party leaders, including Obama.
Since the first presidential debate, dozens of lawmakers have come forward asking the president to end his campaign. But Biden's closest allies, such as Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, had not come out publicly against the president, whose campaign remained adamant that he was staying in the race.
Still, according to the report by the Times, Biden saw Obama "as a puppet master behind the scenes" of discussions regarding the president's campaign.
Citing people close to Biden, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters, the Times reported on Friday that the president "has been around politics long enough to assume that the leaks appearing in the media in recent days are being coordinated to raise the pressure on him to step aside."
Obama's statement praised Biden for evaluating the "political landscape" and deciding "that he should pass the torch to a new nominee."
"This outstanding track record gave President Biden every right to run for re-election and finish the job he started. Joe understands better than anyone the stakes in this election — how everything he has fought for throughout his life, and everything that the Democratic Party stands for, will be at risk if we allow Donald Trump back in the White House and give Republicans control of Congress.
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."
Update: 7/21/2024, 6:29 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with more information.
This is a developing news story and will be updated with more information.
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