Hunter praises dad Joe Biden's ‘unconditional love,’ Jill shares heartfelt reaction after prez drops out: 10-pt update

Here’s a 10-point update on the developments that followed Joe Biden's announcement that he is dropping out of the race.

Joe Biden announced the unexpected decision on Sunday, July 21, to drop out of the presidential race. The president has been facing mounting pressure to resign after his disastrous presidential debate against Donald Trump this year.

Joe Biden announced that he is dropping out of the race (Photo by Kent Nishimura / AFP) (AFP)

Soon after announcing that he is ending his candidacy, Biden endorsed Kamala Harris. The president’s decision is shocking as he had maintained, until now, that he had no plans to drop out of the race. He had also reportedly vowed to appear for a second debate against Trump.

Here’s a 10-point update on the developments:

1. Joe Biden announces he is dropping out: In an open letter, Biden wrote, “It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And 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.”
2. Joe Biden endorses Kamala Harris: Biden followed his letter with another post endorsing Harris to replace him. “My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this,” he wrote.
3. Kamala Harris releases statement: Harris later broke her silence, saying she is “honored to have the President’s endorsement” and praising Biden for his “selfless and patriotic act.” “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. “We have 107 days until Election Day. Together, we will fight. And together, we will win,” she said.
4. Jill Biden’s heartfelt reaction: While Jill has yet to issue a statement on her husband’s decision, she shared Biden’s open letter on X, captioning it with a heart emoji.
5. Barack Obama breaks his silence: Obama shared a statement praising Biden, but did not endorse Harris. Instead, he said that Democrats would choose an unnamed “outstanding nominee.” Heaping praises on Biden, the former president said, “Through his policies and his example, Joe has reminded us of who we are at our best — a country committed to old-fashioned values like trust and honesty, kindness and hard work; a country that believes in democracy, rule of law, and accountability; a country that insists that everyone, no matter who they are, has a voice and deserves a chance at a better life.”
6. Hunter Biden praises his father: Biden’s controversial son Hunter praised his dad after the announcement. Speaking of Biden, Hunter said in a statement, “Over a life time I have witnessed him absorb the pain of countless everyday Americans who he’s given his personal phone number to, because he wanted them to call him when they were hurting. When their last hopes were slipping through their hands.” He concluded by saying, “Thank you, Mr. President. I love you, Dad.”
7. White House reveals agenda items Joe Biden plans to complete: White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates has touted the remaining agenda items Biden has planned to complete before his term comes to an end. “President Biden inherited an economy in freefall, a skyrocketing violent crime rate, and alliances in tatters from his predecessor. He turned that around to deliver the strongest economic growth in the world and the lowest violent crime rate in nearly 50 years, while making NATO bigger than ever,” Bates told New York Post in a statement. “He looks forward to finishing his term and delivering more historic results for the American people. That includes continuing to lower costs, create jobs, and protect Social Security while standing against the MAGAnomics agenda that would worsen inflation and drive us into recession. And he’ll keep fighting to protect Americans’ freedoms from radical abortion bans and attacks on the rule of law,” he added.
8. Kamala Harris' husband Doug Emhoff releases a statement: In an X post, Emhoff thanked the Bidens for their “friendship and support.” “I am deeply grateful to @POTUS and @FLOTUS for their years of friendship and support. President Biden is a true patriot who leads our nation with honesty, decency, and integrity. Alongside @VP, they have fought tirelessly for families and communities, delivering for Americans across our nation. I am so proud of their accomplishments and thankful for their leadership,” he wrote.
9. Donald Trump blasts Joe Biden: In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote that Biden “was not fit to run for President” and is “certainly not fit to serve.” “He only attained the position of President by lies, Fake News, and not leaving his Basement. All those around him, including his Doctor and the Media, knew that he wasn’t capable of being President, and he wasn’t - And now, look what he’s done to our Country, with millions of people coming across our Border, totally unchecked and unvetted, many from prisons, mental institutions, and record numbers of terrorists. We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has done very quickly. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump wrote.
10. Who will get Joe Biden’s remaining campaign funds now? The Republican National Committee opened the possibility of lawsuits that would ensure the Biden campaign funds are not transferred. However, the Federal Election Commission is divided on whether Harris should receive the $96 million left in the account.

FEC commissioner Dara Lindenbaum believes Harris could claim the money since she was already part of the campaign committee's registration. “In my view, this is not an open question,” Lindenbaum told the New York Times.

“It’s very clear,” Lindenbaum added. “If Kamala Harris is the Democratic presidential nominee, she gets to use all the money in the account.”

The Biden-Harris ActBlue account now reads, ‘Donate to Elect Kamala Harris.’ The ‘Biden for President’ account has also filed paperwork with the FEC to rename itself ‘Harris for President.’

FEC Chairman Sean Cooksey said in an interview that he was not sure about what would happen to the funds. “This is an unprecedented event, and it should be not surprising this is not an easy legal question to resolve,” Cooksey said, according to New York Post.