The Guardian

US election live updates: top Democrats back Kamala Harris as donations surge after Biden steps aside

By Martin Belam (now) and Helen Sullivan (earlier),

3 hours ago

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1SjqZg_0uYsYK9B00 — US vice-president Kamala Harris, left, and President Joe Biden in May 2024. Photograph: Evan Vucci/AP

8.06am BST

Israel will be the strongest US ally in the Middle East regardless of who is elected president in November, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday.

Reuters reports that Netanyahu, speaking to reporters before flying to Washington, said that he would thank president Joe Biden for all he has done for Israel.

The Biden administration’s continued provision of resources for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has caused the president to lose some support on the left of his party.

7.39am BST

If you would like something to listen to about the news that Joe Biden is to step aside from his re-election campaign and has instead endorsed vice-president Kamala Harris to challenge Donald Trump in November, then our Politics Weekly America have a podcast on the topic recorded overnight. Jonathan Freedland is joined by politics reporter Nikki McCann Ramírez to discuss what happens next. You can listen to it here .

7.35am BST

Joe Biden steps aside from 2024 election: what we know so far

Joe Biden has withdrawn from his presidential re-election race and endorsed vice-president Kamala Harris to take his place at the top of their party’s ticket. The extraordinary decision upends American politics and plunges the Democratic nomination into uncertainty just months before the November election against Donald Trump – a candidate Biden has warned is an existential threat to US democracy. Biden said he planned to speak to the nation in more detail later this week
Harris said she would run for president, and she was “honored” by Biden’s decision to endorse her . “I am honored to have the president’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” Harris said . “I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic party – and unite our nation – to defeat Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda.”
It is still unclear whether the party will coalesce around Harris, or whether the Democratic national convention will have a floor fight for the nomination. However, all 50 state Democratic party chairs have already endorsed Harris to be the party’s new presidential nominee . Senators Mark Warner , Tammy Baldwin and others quickly offered their support for Harris in messages on Sunday, as did Bill and Hillary Clinton .
Two of the most likely alternatives to Harris, Gretchen Whitmer and Gavin Newsom , appear to have ruled themselves out of the running
Democratic leaders quickly heaped praise on the president for his lifetime of service . “Joe understands better than anyone the stakes in this election” wrote Barack Obama . Nancy Pelosi , who reportedly was one of several lawmakers nudging Biden to withdraw, spoke of her “love and gratitude” in a message after the announcement
Trump, with typical grace, reacted to the news with a vicious attack on Biden and his legacy . “Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for president, and is certainly not fit to serve – and never was!” the Republican nominee said in a post to his own Truth Social network. The former president rehashed a familiar litany of unsubstantiated grievances in his message. JD Vance , Trump’s newly installed running mate , called Biden “the worst president of my lifetime”

7.09am BST

In today’s First Edition newsletter, my colleague Archie Bland sets out what happens now:

While Joe Biden won the Democratic primaries at a canter, his status as the party’s nominee had not yet been officially confirmed. As Joan E Greve sets out in this useful explainer , the delegates who are pledged to vote for Biden at the party’s convention next month will now be released from their obligation.

In theory, that could mean an open “floor fight” in which candidates vie for the delegates’ votes. The Democratic National Committee chair, Jaime Harrison , said yesterday that the process would be “transparent and orderly”. The DNC’s rules committee said last night that it would meet on Wednesday to settle on the process.

Kamala Harris has no automatic right to Biden’s delegates as his vice-president, but his endorsement plus the explicit support of many prominent figures in the party mean there is a very good chance she will run unopposed, or be a strong favourite even if someone stands against her.

In her favour is wariness among the Democratic establishment of a chaotic display to the public in an open battle at the convention – alongside worries that Black and female voters could turn away from the party if Harris were to be denied the nomination that some feel she has already earned.

Tat theory will only be tested if a serious rival emerges, which looks increasingly unlikely. One potential candidate, Gretchen Whitmer , governor of Michigan, quickly said yesterday that she would not stand; another governor, Gavin Newsom of California, has repeatedly said that he would not stand against Harris . Both endorsed her last night, along with more than 100 other elected Democrats.

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6.56am BST

The Kremlin has responded to Biden stepping aside, saying “a lot can change” in the next four months.

“The elections are still four months away, and that is a long period of time in which a lot can change,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the SHOT news outlet.

“We need to be patient and carefully monitor what happens. The priority for us is the special military operation,” Peskov said, using the euphemism for the Ukraine war that President Vladimir Putin prefers.

Putin had said several times said that he felt Biden was preferable as the future US president to Trump for Russia, even after Biden cast the Kremlin chief as a “crazy SOB”.

Russian state television led news bulletins with the news of Biden leaving the election race and Biden’s support for Harris, though it said it was unclear if Harris would earn the Democratic nomination.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on the Telegram messaging app that he wished Biden good health and added that the goals of the special military operation would be achieved.

Updated at 7.41am BST

6.53am BST

If Kamala Harris becomes the nominee, then, as said in a 2020 Harris campaign ad shared widely after Biden resigned, Trump will be up against “The Anti-Trump”.

Here is a reminder of some of the ways they differ: A prosecutor versus a felon. The first Black person, the first person of South Asian descent, and the first female Vice President in US history, versus a white man. The oldest Presidential candidate in US history versus someone almost 20 years younger than him. The US property mogul who inherited a fortune from his father versus the daughter of a biologist and a university Professor in economics, both of whom are immigrants.

On that note, this is Helen Sullivan handing over to my colleague Martin Belam in London.

Updated at 6.58am BST

6.44am BST

Here is a roundup of this morning’s front pages:

6.41am BST

JD Vance to make first solo campaign appearance on Mondau

Republican JD Vance, an Ohio Senator, will make his first solo appearances on the campaign trail Monday, AP reports.

Vance is scheduled to hold a rally in his hometown of Middletown on Monday afternoon, followed by a second rally Monday evening in Radford, Virginia, fresh off his rally debut with Donald Trump over the weekend.

Vance was expected to eventually face Vice President Kamala Harris in a debate. But with Biden dropping out and the Democratic ticket unsettled, the senator is following Trump’s lead and focusing on attacking Biden and Harris jointly.

“President Trump and I are ready to save America, whoever’s at the top of the Democrat ticket,” Vance said Sunday in a post on X. “Bring it on.”

Updated at 7.40am BST

6.37am BST

Why hasn't Obama endorsed Harris?

Obama, who has notably not yet endorsed Harris had two main reasons for holding back, the New York Times reports , citing unnamed people close to the former US president.

The first is that Obama “has positioned himself as an impartial elder statesman above intraparty machinations” and did not want to make “a political mistake — fueling criticism that Ms. Harris’s nomination, should it come, was a coronation rather than the best possible consensus under rushed circumstances”.

He also “wanted Sunday to be about Biden”, the New York Times reports, citing a former White House official who speaks regularly with Obama.

Updated at 6.44am BST

6.23am BST

Here is what we know about what Harris’s schedule holds for this week:

She will host an event on the South Lawn of the White House on Monday with sports teams from across the country that won NCAA championships this year.
She is planning to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to Washington later this week.
Harris also has a previously scheduled campaign swing to Milwaukee on Tuesday.

6.19am BST

Asian markets fell Monday as Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the US presidential race fuelled fresh uncertainty, while traders appeared to be unmoved by China’s decision to cut interest rates in a bid to boost the country’s economy.

The news has left traders wondering who will go head to head with Trump, whose expected victory had lifted equities and the dollar on expectations for tax cuts and deregulation.

Analysts said markets would likely be volatile in the near term.

“While market instinct will be to say that the news adds a degree of uncertainty to the outcome of the 5 November election that wasn’t present last week, it will be many weeks... before anyone can reasonably determine if the race for the White House is significantly narrower than looked to be case previously,” said National Australia Bank’s Ray Attrill.

“In short, there’ll be more noise than signal on US politics for markets to contend with in the coming few weeks at least.”

Stocks in Asia fell Monday following losses on Wall Street and Europe, where trade was dominated by the global computer systems crash.

6.12am BST

Kamala HQ, the newly launched Twitter account that describes itself as “the official rapid response page of Vice President Harris’ presidential campaign” has branded itself with three key things that young people already identify with Harris.

1. Her telling a story in 2023, about her mother saying to her as a child : “You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?”, with Harris adding: “You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.” It became an instant meme at the time. “The arc of the coconut tree is long, but it bends towards justice,” one person tweeted following Biden’s announcement.

2. The album brat, by Charli XCX. The singer tweeted on Sunday saying “kamala IS brat”. Brat is both the album of the summer and the theme of the summer, according to this newspaper.

3. Venn diagrams, which Harris has famously said she loves.

Here is a video that explains all three things (in its own unique and very online way):

Updated at 6.16am BST

6.03am BST

The Harris for President campaign has sent out a list of all of the endorsements Harris has garnered from elected officials in the hours since Biden announced his withdrawal from the race.

There are “hundreds” according to the statement, which includes the words of more than 100 of them.

Here is a selection from the most recognisable names (who are not contenders for the nomination or running mate):

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand: “ My friend @KamalaHarris is a champion for freedom and a proven leader who is ready to defeat Donald Trump and defend our democracy. I’m proud to endorse her — and I’m eager to join her in this fight. Donate to her campaign now”.

Senator Elizabeth Warren: “ We have many talented people in our party, but Vice President Harris is the person who was chosen by the voters to succeed Joe Biden if needed. She can unite our party, take on Donald Trump, and win in November”.

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: “Kamala Harris will be the next President of the United States. I pledge my full support to ensure her victory in November. Now more than ever, it is crucial that our party and country swiftly unite to defeat Donald Trump and the threat to American democracy. Let’s get to work”.

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar: “Thrilled to support @KamalaHarris as our Democratic nominee and remain committed to working alongside her to defeat Donald Trump in November”

Congressman Adam Schiff: “Now it’s time for all of us to unite behind Vice President Harris. I am excited to endorse her campaign for President – she has the judgment, experience, leadership, and tenacity to take on and defeat Donald Trump. I worked with her when she was our Attorney General, Senator, and Vice President, and I can’t wait to work with her as President. There is no better matchup than this superb former prosecutor against this convicted criminal, and she’ll prosecute the case against Trump every single day. The stakes are high, and we must focus all of our energy on electing Kamala Harris and defeating Donald Trump.”

Updated at 6.32am BST

5.54am BST

DNC rules committee to meet Wednesday - reports

CNN and the Wall Street Journal report that the DNC rules committee’s co-chairs have announced the committee will meet on Wednesday afternoon.

The committee determines the rules for the party’s nomination.

“It is now the Committee’s responsibility to implement a framework to select a new nominee, which will be open, transparent, fair, and orderly,” said co-chairs Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and longtime Democratic operative Leah Daughtry.

“The process presented for consideration will be comprehensive, it will be fair, and it will be expeditious.”

5.48am BST

Where Harris stands on abortion

Democrats will be hoping that Harris, if she is the nominee, will have gender in her favour among Democrat voters, particularly since Roe v Wade was overturned by a Supreme Court with three judges appointed by Trump, who boasted this year, ‘We broke Roe v Wade’.

Beginning in late 2023, Harris has embarked on a national tour to highlight the threats to reproductive rights posed by a second Trump administration – an issue that Biden has been criticized for shying away from. Biden has defended Roe v Wade, but has said he is “not big on abortion”.

“As a woman on the ticket and the first woman VP and a woman of color, and then secondly, as an AG, she is strongest when her profile is fighting and prosecuting the case. People really like her in that mode,” said Celinda Lake, a Democratic party strategist and a lead pollster on the 2020 Biden campaign told the Guardian in March . “She’s so comfortable saying the word ‘abortion’. She’s so comfortable leaning in and speaking to the repercussions.”

Trump has run against and defeated a woman before – Hillary Clinton. After Roe v Wade, more people may be motivated by the possibility of a clearly pro-abortion rights woman president. It will likely also, however, motivate people who anti-abortion and otherwise sexist to vote for Trump.

5.39am BST

Israel Defence Minister Yoav Gallant late on Sunday thanked Biden for his “unwavering support” for Israel.

“Your steadfast backing, especially during the war, has been invaluable. We are grateful for your leadership and friendship”, he said on X.

Since the Hamas attack against Israel 7 October, in which 1,200 people were killed and 250 kidnapped, Israel’s campaign has killed more than 38,000 people in Gaza and wounded more than 88,000, according to local health officials. Malnutrition and disease have become widespread as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians cram into squalid tent camps.

5.25am BST

All state Democratic party chairs endorse Harris

All 50 state Democratic party chairs have endorsed Harris to be the party’s new presidential nominee to run against Republican nominee and former president, Donald Trump, Reuters reports.

The chairs held a conference call after President Joe Biden announced he was stepping aside as the party’s candidate.

“Following President Biden’s announcement, our members immediately assembled to unite behind the candidate who has a track record of winning tough elections, and who is a proven leader on the issues that matter to Americans: reproductive freedom, gun violence prevention, climate protection, justice reform, and rebuilding the economy,” said Ken Martin, president of the Association of State Democratic Committees, in a statement.

Updated at 7.18am BST

5.08am BST

What the polling says

In a hypothetical head-to-head matchup, Harris and Trump were tied with 44% support each in a July 15-16 Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted immediately after the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump. Trump led Biden 43% to 41% in that same poll, though the 2 percentage point difference was not meaningful considering the poll’s 3-point margin of error.

An average across recent polling reported shows Harris trailing Trump by 2 points, with 46% to 48%, the New York Times reports , though Biden trailed Trump by three points, 44% to 47%.

Polling conducted in Swing states after the Trump assassination attempt and before Biden stepped down dropped out had Harris hypothetically behind Trump one point in Pennsylvania, and winning by five points in Virginia. She polled better than Biden among women, younger voters and Black voters, the New York Times reports.

Her lead among black voters when compared to Trump is 64 points, according to an NBC news poll . Trump leads among white voters by 16 points, compared to a 14 point lead against Biden among white voters.

Updated at 6.36am BST

4.59am BST

CNN anchor Abby Phillip reports that 40,000 people joined a call organised by Win With Black Women, which describes itself as a “collective of intergenerational, intersectional Black women leaders throughout the nation”:

4.56am BST

Rodell Mollineau, a Democratic strategist and longtime congressional aide, says Harris will be able to mount “a more energetic campaign with excitement from younger voters and people of colour”.

A former prosecutor and California attorney general as well as a former US senator, Harris would be able to use “her years of litigation experience to effectively prosecute Trump in the court of public opinion,” Mollineau told Reuters.

Chip Felkel, a Republican strategist, told Reuters it would be a mistake for the Trump campaign to assume Harris could serve as a simple stand-in for Biden, because of her potential appeal to different parts of the electorate.

4.47am BST

Biden dropped out after looking at internal polling – report

A source has told Reuters that top aides showed Biden internal polling with the jarring news on Saturday night that he was not just trailing in all six critical swing states that could decide the election but also collapsing in places like Virginia and Minnesota where Democrats had not planned on needing to spend massive resources.

Biden changed his mind after “poring over” the data, Reuters reports.

Updated at 5.17am BST

4.39am BST

MAGA Inc switches Biden TV ads with one attacking Harris on migration, inflation

Make America Great Again Inc, a super PAC backing Trump, said on Sunday it was pulling anti-Biden television ads that had been set to run in the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania and replacing them with an ad attacking Harris, Reuters reports.

The 30-second ad accuses Harris of hiding Biden’s infirmity from the public, and it seeks to pin the administration’s record solely on her. “Kamala knew Joe couldn’t do the job, so she did it. Look what she got done: a border invasion, runaway inflation, the American Dream dead,” the narrator says.

Trump, known for using insulting and sometimes offensive language to attack his opponents, gave supporters at a rally in Michigan on Saturday a taste of the insults he is likely to fling at Harris in the coming days.

“I call her laughing Kamala. You ever watch a laugh? She’s crazy. You can tell a lot by a laugh. She’s crazy. She’s nuts,” he said.

Updated at 4.39am BST

4.35am BST

Trump campaign pivots to Harris, will focus on immigration and the economy

Trump will try to show swing voters that his likely new rival has her fingerprints all over two issues he is counting on for victory in November: immigration and the cost of living, Reuters reports.

Sources within the Trump campaign told Reuters it will cast Harris, the likely Democratic candidate after President Joe Biden quit the race on Sunday, as the “co-pilot” of administration polices it says are behind both sources of voter discontent.

Sources told Reuters that Trump’s campaign had for weeks been preparing for Harris should Biden drop out and she win her party’s nomination.

“Harris will be easier to beat than Joe Biden would have been,” Trump told CNN shortly after Biden’s announcement on Sunday. Trump’s campaign has signaled it will tie her as tightly as possible to Biden’s immigration policy, which Republicans say is to blame for a sharp increase in the numbers of people crossing the southern border with Mexico illegally.

The second line of attack will revolve around the economy. Public opinion polls consistently show Americans are unhappy with high food and fuel costs as well as interest rates that have made buying a home less affordable.

“She’s the co-pilot of the Biden vision,” said one Trump adviser, speaking on condition of anonymity during last week’s Republican National Convention, where a unified party anointed Trump as its nominee in the White House race.

4.29am BST

Harris and Schumer spoke Sunday afternoon - report

Key Democrats believe Harris would benefit from what some call a “mini-primary”, the Associated Press is reporting, saying, “They argue a fast primary campaign would showcase to the American people, party donors and skeptics that Harris is best for the job, and give would-be contenders a chance to compete — or at least debut as potential running mates.”

Harris was making calls late in the day to congressional lawmakers and gain support, including from Representative Annie Kuster of New Hampshire – the chair of the New Democrat Coalition, a moderate caucus on Capitol Hill – who endorsed Harris Sunday.

Harris and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer spoke Sunday afternoon, the AP reports, citing a person granted anonymity to discuss the private conversation.

4.24am BST

What is Project 2025?

In Harris’s statement announcing that she would be running for the nomination, she referenced Project 2025.

“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.

If you are not across Project 2025, it is a roadmap for a potential second Trump presidency that details – across more than 900 pages – how Trump and his allies could dismantle and disrupt the US government. It suggests ridding the federal ranks of many appointed roles and stacking agencies instead with more political appointees aligned with and more beholden to Trump’s policy prescriptions.

Led by the rightwing Heritage Foundation, the project showcases a federal government that cracks down intensely on immigration, vanquishes LGBTQ+ and abortion rights, diminishes environmental protections , overhauls financial policy and takes aggressive action against China.

Here is an explainer by my colleague Rachel Leingang:

Updated at 6.47am BST

4.21am BST

ActBlue funding passes $60 million – reports

Democrat strategists and journalists are reporting that the money raised by Democrat donors on liberal political action committee ActBlue in the hours since Biden announced that he was dropping out of the race and named Kamala Harris as his pick for nominee has now passed $60 million. The Guardian has not verified this independently.

ActBlue has not announced a new figure yet, since saying that $46.7m had been raised since 9pm ET – a figure it said was the highest of the 2024 campaign so far.

Joe Biden’s official campaign website, joebiden.com now redirects to an ActBlue donations page.

The New York Times reports that donations have passed $50 million. The only other day where $50m was raised in a single day was after Ruth Bader-Ginsberg died, Democrat pollster and strategist Matt McDermott said on X earlier – the Guardian has not confirmed this independently.

Updated at 4.26am BST

4.12am BST

Opening summary

Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s live US politics coverage following President Joe Biden ’s announcement that he will be withdrawing from the race – but seeing out his term as president – and his endorsement of his Vice President, Kamala Harris .

“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 statement announcing that she would be running.

Harris reportedly sent a fundraising email that began, “I am running to be President of the United States”.

Democrat donations spiked sharply following Biden’s announcement. The liberal political action committee ActBlue announced that Democrats had donated $46.7m in the seven hours since Biden announced that he would withdraw to 9pm ET, saying it was the biggest fundraising day of the 2024 election cycle.

Reports emerged later that the total had ticked over to $50m – making it one of the two biggest fundraising days in the history of the PAC, with the other being after Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader-Ginsbgerg died.

Meanwhile senior Democrats , including some of those who have been named as possible contenders for the presidential or vice-presidential nomination, endorsed Kamala Harris for the nomination on Sunday within hours of Biden’s announcement.

Shortly after Biden stepped aside he firmly endorsed Harris, who would make history as the nation’s first Black and South Asian woman to become a major party’s presidential nominee. Other endorsements flowed from Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton , the first major female presidential nominee, and prominent US senators, a wide swath of House representatives and members of the influential Congressional Black Caucus.

Among top potential contenders, the governors Gavin Newsom of California, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg, and Roy Cooper of North Carolina all endorsed Harris on Sunday. New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also endorsed Harris, after holding out against calling for Biden to resign.

Donald Trump heaped scorn on Biden, saying he “was not fit to run for president, and is certainly not fit to serve”. Top Republicans in Congress , including speaker Mike Johnson and other senior House lawmakers , called on Biden to resign immediately. Notably, Mitch McConnell , the GOP’s Senate minority leader, did not .