On July 21, Joe Biden announced that he would be dropping out of the 2024 presidential race. While many Americans believed this was the correct choice, the abrupt announcement also pushed many members of the public to question the informality of the decision.
Biden’s choice was likely the result of him facing a sizable decrease in his approval ratings, with 55 percent of those surveyed on the day he dropped out disapproving of his presidency, according to a Gallup poll. Many critics argued that Biden made false promises throughout his term, such as increasing social security benefits, making public colleges and universities tuition-free for families who earn less than $125,000 annually, banning fracking on federal lands, and restoring voting rights to convicted felons. In the eyes of some, especially on the right, he hasn’t produced any observable change at all in these areas. Many also disagreed with how he handled the Israel-Palestine conflict, with 64 percent of likely voters wanting a permanent ceasefire in Gaza according to Data for Progress. Biden’s decision to drop out was viewed as necessary by some in order to attain success for the Democratic Party. After considering his low approval rate, and performance in his debate with Donald Trump, which, according to BU Today, was “a disastrous debate performance… that brought to a boil long-simmering questions about his age and acuity,” it was clear that he likely wouldn’t be able to secure a second term as president.
While the dropout was aimed as a strategic decision, its sudden nature was seen as a complete flip from Biden’s previous statements. Before July 21, according to CNN, he had “spent the three weeks after the debate repeating that he was staying in the race against former President Donald Trump.” The president dug in. He insisted he could beat Trump. Despite appearing ready to move forward with his campaign, he forfeited the race, most likely due to public pressure.
Despite a majority of voters not approving of Joe Biden’s recent performance, come November many Americans were going to vote for him simply because he was the lesser of two evils. Considering how Donald Trump plans to put Project 2025 into action if he is elected, voting for Biden seemed to be a safer option for the lives of many. Jamie Yu, a nurse in Phoenix, had been planning to vote for Biden in November, but only because “I don’t want to vote for Donald Trump. I don’t want him in office.” On the contrary, others viewed this as a perfect decision, expressing feelings of relief. Just days before he’d announced the end of his campaign, around 67% of Democrats according to AP News, were hoping he would drop out. When asked by AP News about his thoughts on Biden’s campaign, Democratic voter Andrew Holcomb in Colorado said, “I do have genuine concerns about his ability to hold the office […] I think he’s frankly just too old for the job,” a sentiment many Americans would agree with.
