MORNING NEWSBREAK | President Joe Biden on Sunday dropped out of the 2024 presidential race, promptly endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place as the Democratic candidate to challenge former GOP President Donald Trump.
In his withdrawal letter, Biden said, “While it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.”
Harris moved quickly to take control of the transformed presidential race in flux since a recent poor debate performance by Biden and an assassination attempt on GOP challenger Donald Trump.
“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 said in a Sunday statement. “We have 107 days until Election Day. Together, we will fight. And together, we will win.”
Charleston County Democratic Party Chair Sam Skardon said Biden’s decision illustrated his lifetime of putting public service first.
“His patriotic decision today reflects the contrast our party has always offered from Donald Trump. The Democratic Party stands for more than loyalty to one person, and we put the country’s best interest above any individual.”
Meanwhile, a majority of Congressional Democrats and at least 10 Democratic governors have come out to support Harris’s candidacy in a fluid presidential contest now being billed as a race between a formidable ex-prosecutor and recently convicted felon.
- More endorsements here.
- S.C.’s Clyburn on Biden in TV interview
- How Clyburn, S.C. officials react to withdrawal
- S.C.’s DNC delegates back Harris to be Dem nominee
- Polling on Harris vs. Trump
In other news today:
CP OPINION, Brack: What’s it going to take to curb gun violence? “Another horrific incident led S.C. Rep. Wendell Gilliard to do what he’s done many times in career: Bemoan the continuing scourge of gun violence and call for change. This time, the spark was the recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, which rocked red and blue America.”
CP NEWS: Why Project 2025 matters in 2024 politics. “To understand the debate surrounding Project 2025 – a controversial conservative federal governing blueprint prepared by the Heritage Foundation and its ideological allies, such as South Carolina’s Palmetto Promise Institute – it helps to remember there are two great political contests in America every four years.”
CP NEWS, Week in Review: S.C. would get billions from Medicaid expansion. A new report from the Milken School of Public Health at George Washington University finds South Carolina would gain 20,000 jobs and more than $4 billion in annual economic output if it expanded its Medicaid program.
- S.C. is one of 10 states that hasn’t expanded Medicaid
- New media voice seeks to push more liberal agenda in S.C.
- State allots $1 million in funding for advertising for IAAM
CP SPONSORED: How Charleston’s Josh Royal is a big deal in internet services. Meet entrepreneur Josh Royal, whose direct-to-consumer e-commerce service company, Aventus, is growing like gangbusters.
CP FOOD, DISH: Charleston’s best restaurant, summer dining guide. Take a look at this quarterly magazine of Charleston’s best food, including articles on killer tomatoes, great ceviche and more.
S.C. gas prices drop by more than a dime. The price per gallon is down an average of 11.4 compared to last week. The average is now $3.13 per gallon, according to GasBuddy.
Head of Charleston Co. schools program fired after report. An investigation into how Charleston County School District had to pay $3 million instead of using federal pandemic funds was blamed in a probe on a single employee, who was fired last week, according to this report.
Summerville to get $30 million pool club. It will have bars, restaurants, an area for kids and more.
IOP officials consider ordinance making feeding of wildlife illegal. Isle of Palms officials say they’re considering an ordinance to make feeding wildlife, including feral cats, illegal to curb nuisances.
Carriage company defends horse treatment in Charleston heat. The manager of a Charleston carriage company defends operating in the heat of the sweltering summer, saying horses are well taken care of, according to this report.
Tax-free weekend is ahead, Aug. 2-4. Learn about what you can — and can’t — get tax free soon.
Delta cancels more flights. Delta Air Lines canceled more than 500 flights today hours after the nation’s transportation secretary singled out the airline’s customer service.
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