Is Biden's exit the latest episode of the 'worst reality TV show in the world'?

In Oakland, Calfornia, grocery store checker Erica Guthrie burst into tears when she heard the news.

In Philadelphia, the Rev. Carl Day says we're living in "the worst reality TV show in the world right now."

And in Colorado, stormchaser Jen Walton wants a vacation "from unprecedented times."

After months of a seemingly inevitable clash between two long-known and well-understood presidential candidates, President Joe Biden's Sunday decision to halt his reelection effort upended both the campaign and the day-to-day lives of Americans still reeling from the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump the weekend before.

It all comes atop years of nonstop political turmoil, and many Americans say they're exhausted, excited, anxious and baffled, sometimes all at once.

"This is literally like living in a meth lab, 24/7," said Walton, a professional storm photographer and science communicator who founded the " Girls Who Chase " initiative to help diversify the storm-chasing community.

Liberal voters, energized, confused and concerned as Biden quits, Harris lines up support

Some liberals were energized by Biden's decision, and began lining up Sunday behind Vice President Kamala Harris , who announced her candidacy and secured Biden's and other key endorsement s .

Other liberals fretted over whether the Democratic Party can coalesce behind a last-minute candidate and assemble a cohesive campaign to beat Trump, the former president and reality TV show star.

Meanwhile, some conservatives demanded Biden quit the presidency immediately while also sharing conspiracy theories about his campaign withdrawal, including obsessing over why he announced his decision via a statement that didn't bear the presidential seal. Biden is currently isolating with COVID-19, but conspiracists speculated there might be a more nefarious reason he didn't appear in person.

Harris' candidacy also raised questions across the spectrum about whether the United States is willing to elect a Black woman as president.

A month ago, Michigan sisters and self-described "double haters" Olivia and Macayla Jones said they couldn't bring themselves to vote for either Biden or Trump. Sunday, they said Biden did the right thing in stepping back ‒ and that they'd now vote for Harris if she tops the ticket.

But they worry about her chances as a Black woman. While the Jones sisters are Black women themselves, they wondered aloud if having a white man run against Trump would be smarter politically.

"While I personally would love to see a Black female president in my lifetime, I don't think we should have a woman of color against Trump," Olivia Jones said. "It’s unsafe territory. Of course, I'm going to support her, but it's not the smart pick. This is such an important election. This is not the time to chance it."

Macayla Jones echoed her sister.

"People feel more comfortable having a man, a white man, running for president,” Macayla Jones said. “So, I feel like Vice President Harris could be the vice president again for the next Democratic candidate. But if she's the nominee, I don't think she will become president."

Still, many liberals don't think either Biden or any other Democrat should be struggling against Trump and his dozens of convictions, along with bankruptcies, divorces, business failures, and ongoing attacks against democratic norms, including the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

"It’s very confusing to me how the GOP line is all about loosening regulation and 'don't tread on me' — as they’re slowly taking over women's right to choose what they do with their own bodies, and the rights of marginalized groups to live the way they choose," Walton said. "I deserve freedom to live my life the way I choose, just like any other American, and no one gets to tell me otherwise. Period."

Harris' candidacy sparked an outpouring of financial support for Democrats, with nearly $50 million raised in the hours following Biden's announcement, the biggest one-day take for Democrats in the 2024 presidential election cycle, the liberal fundraising platform ActBlue reported.

Trump supporters said Biden was losing because his economic, social and border policies were out of touch with everyday Americans struggling to pay grocery bills, afford housing and worried about the influx of migrants across the southern border.

A Detroit Free Press poll released Sunday before Biden dropped out showed Trump beating him in the battleground state of Michigan 49% to 42%. Nine percent of voters said they would rather pick someone else, were undecided or would decline to vote, according to the poll, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. Biden easily beat Trump in Michigan four years ago, before the Jan. 6 insurrection and Trump's criminal convictions.

Day, a liberal-learning pastor who conducts street outreach for young Black men in Philadelphia, said he's frustrated the Democratic Party didn't have a clear succession plan for Biden, given the growing concerns about his age.

"They knew he was 81 years old. I felt like they’ve caved into the public hysteria and debate pressure instead of sticking to the achievements of the last three years of the president," he said. "I'm not certain at this point that the party will be able to create enough unity amongst itself and confidence from the American public to win right now."

Still, Day said he'll back whoever the party picks to challenge Trump.

Scott James, a Colorado Republican, commended Biden for stepping down, a decision he called "right for himself, his family, and our nation." And he said he hopes that whoever replaces Biden on the ticket commits to helping cool the political rhetoric.

"I continue to hold hope that the vitriolic temperature that exists in this nation will lower and that we can remember that 'E Pluribus Unum' ‒ from many, one ‒ is this nation’s motto," he said. "I want the campaign to focus on the American people and not on the big personalities of D.C."

Voters are 'scared of the unexpected' as Biden exit roils presidential race

The news of Biden dropping out popping up on her smartphone brought Guthrie, 46, to tears as she was checking out a shopper’s groceries Sunday.

An independent voter, Guthrie said she’s not a big fan of Biden and doesn’t like Trump or Harris, but that Biden stepping away at “such a crucial time” has her distraught about the current state of America.

“I’m just scared of the unexpected,” said Guthrie, her eyes welling up. “I was just telling my husband that I don’t know what America is turning into. The cost of groceries is high, gas is high and now this on top of the craziness we’re already experiencing. Can America be more chaotic? It’s a lot to take in."

As for what she plans to do come Election Day?

"I still don’t know who I’m going to vote for," Guthrie confessed as she shook her head slowly in disbelief.

Not everyone was as stunned. Until now, El Paso resident Diego Abel Amolitos had managed to tune out of politics

The mechanic, 24, has never voted. The last time politics was front and center in his own life was when he was a kid and his Hispanic family got excited about Barack Obama’s election as the first Black president, he said. He's registered to vote, he said, but just hasn't bothered to participate.

But after a week of unprecedented political events, Amolitos, who also drives for Uber and DoorDash, said he may have to start paying attention.

"I live in Texas, right, and people here say a lot of good things come from how they vote in a conservative way," he said, as a cross with the Virgin of Guadalupe dangled from the rearview mirror of his Uber on Sunday. “But I don’t know enough to really make judgment on that.”

He says his vote is up for grabs, and what matters to him most is his family’s health and the price of basic goods.

“When I think of my family, I think of health care,” he said. “The better service the country can provide, the less I have to worry about. And also, of course inflation and things like that, the price of gas.”

In Colorado, progressive activist Sara Loflin said she's hopeful Harris' candidacy will breathe new life into Democratic voters. Many polls have shown young liberal voters were reluctant to vote for Biden, in part due to his age, even knowing that withholding their vote for him would help return Trump to the White House.

"I think what progressives are desperate for is a clear direction and I think today we got that," Loflin said Sunday. "Today is a day to take a breath and have gratitude for Joe Biden. And tomorrow we'll wake up and fight like hell to elect the first Black woman president in the history of the United States, with whoever she decides is her running mate."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is Biden's exit the latest episode of the 'worst reality TV show in the world'?