After President Joe Biden announced on Sunday his decision to end his re-election campaign, figures within the Republican Party reacted by calling for his immediate resignation. From former President Donald Trump to the Republican leadership in Congress and other prominent party voices, they argued that if Biden is not capable of running in the November 5 elections, he is not fit to continue governing the country.
Trump, who accepted the Republican nomination for the upcoming elections last Thursday, responded to his political adversary’s decision on his platform, Truth Social. “Corrupt Joe Biden was never fit to run for president, and he certainly isn’t fit to serve – and never was!” he asserted. “Everyone around him, including his doctor and the media, knew he wasn’t capable of being president, and he wasn’t.”
The Republican candidate, whose popularity has surged as the presidential elections approach after surviving an assassination attempt, claimed that the United States will suffer greatly because of Biden’s presidency. “But we will quickly remedy the damage he has done. Let’s make America great again!” exclaimed Trump, who will face a yet-to-be-determined new rival.
Republican Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House, and other heavyweights of his party in Congress were adamant in their call for Biden to step down immediately. “If Joe Biden is not fit to run for president, he is not fit to be president. He must resign immediately,” Johnson wrote on the social media platform X. The House Speaker considered Biden's decision an "unprecedented juncture in U.S. history.”
“The Democratic Party has ousted the Democratic candidate from the ballot, just over 100 days before the elections,” he said. “By invalidating the votes of more than 14 million Americans who chose Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential candidate, the self-proclaimed ‘party of democracy’ has demonstrated exactly the opposite.”
Meanwhile, J.D. Vance, chosen by Trump to accompany him as vice president in the race for the White House, stated, “Joe Biden has been the worst president of my life, and Kamala Harris has been right there with him every step of the way.”
Regarding the current Vice President and potential Democratic presidential candidate following Biden's resignation, Vance added, “For the past four years, she co-authored Biden's open border policies and ecological scams that raised the cost of housing and food. She owns all these failures and lied for nearly four years about Biden's mental capacity, burdening the nation with a president who cannot do the job.”
“President Trump and I are ready to save America, no matter who leads the Democratic ticket. Bring it on,” he emphasized.
In a post this morning on the same social media platform, the Ohio senator also questioned the current president’s ability, at 81 years old, to continue in office. “If Joe Biden is ending his re-election campaign, how can he justify continuing as president?” the 39-year-old politician asked.
“Not running for re-election would be a clear admission that President Trump was right from the beginning about Biden not being mentally fit to serve as Commander in Chief,” he stressed. “There is no middle ground.”
Similarly, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a prominent Republican figure and staunch critic of the Biden-Harris administration’s immigration policies, stated, “If Biden is not fit to run FOR the presidency, he is not fit to hold THE presidency,” while warning that “American security is at risk both domestically and abroad.”
“A change in the Oval Office is essential – immediately – to ensure the safety of Americans and the security of our country,” he maintained.
Regarding Biden's endorsement of Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential candidate, the governor sarcastically expressed, “I think I’ll have to triple the border wall, barbed wire barriers, and National Guard at the border.”
Following these remarks, he shared a segment of an interview with the Vice President on NBC and said her performance at the border “has been a complete failure. The future of America is bleak if the border czar becomes president.”
Republican Reactions to Biden's Decision
The announcement by President Joe Biden to end his re-election campaign has stirred significant reactions within the Republican Party. Here are some frequently asked questions and their answers regarding this political development.
Why are Republicans calling for Biden's resignation?
Republicans argue that if President Biden is unfit to run for re-election, he is also unfit to continue serving as president. They believe his inability to campaign reflects his overall capability to govern.
What has Donald Trump said about Biden's decision?
Donald Trump has stated that Joe Biden was never fit to serve as president and claims that everyone around Biden knew this. He believes Biden's decision not to run is an admission of his incapability.
How has Biden's decision impacted the Republican campaign?
Biden's decision has energized the Republican campaign, with leaders like J.D. Vance and Mike Johnson using it to question Biden's ability to lead and to push for immediate changes in leadership.
What are the concerns about Kamala Harris as a potential candidate?
Republicans, including Governor Greg Abbott, have criticized Kamala Harris's performance, particularly on immigration policy, and express deep concerns about her potential presidency.