The race for the US Presidency and the current political situation in the country seems to be a movie screenplay writing itself. Following the Presidential Debate which saw current President Joe Biden and contender Donald Trump exchanging verbal blows, to the assassination attempt on the latter during his campaign rally, this election has not been short of sensational.
American President Joe Biden (image credit: Daniel Schwen/CC BY-SA 4.0/Wikimedia Commons)
In the latest breaking news, President Biden has officially confirmed that he has decided to step down from the race. This decision has elicited many reactions from Hollywood stars. While celebrities like George Clooney had earlier called for the President to step down, Chloë Grace Moretz continues to be his steadfast supporter.
Joe Biden Officially Steps Down From The Presidential Race
Over the past few months, the happenings in the USA leading upto the election of the next President has been a hot topic around the world. The Presidential Debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump in June 2024 was a hot seat for caustic exchanges between both candidates.
Joe Biden and Donald Trump during the Presidential Debate (image credit: CNN)
The debate also saw Biden who is currently in his 80s, being challenged by Trump on his mental strength and ability to govern the country for one more term. The President’s performance in the debate and the vulnerability he exhibited, led to many Democratic Party leaders and law makers calling for him to step down from the race with with dignity (via CBS News).
It now seems that Biden may have carefully considered these opinions about him and his ability to shoulder more burden and responsibility for another term. In a latest statement from the Presidential camp (via The Telegraph), the leader officially announced that he has withdrawn his name from the race.
Looking back at his tenure, Biden reminisced about the various positives from his time as President, including combating a global pandemic and creating affordable health care. Without going into specifics about the reasons behind him stepping down, he stated,
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.
The President concluded by thanking everyone from his party including Vice President Kamala Harris for their loyal and unstinted support towards his campaign. In a tweet on his handle, he also endorsed Harris to be the official nominee from the party in his absence.
My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. 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… pic.twitter.com/x8DnvuImJV
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024
It now remains to be seen if the Democratic Party will officially nominate Harris to run for office. The Vice President meanwhile announced through her X handle that she grateful to have Biden’s endorsement, and intended to win this nomination.
While George Clooney May Not Have Supported Joe Biden’s Campaign, This Star Had His Back
Even before Joe Biden officially backed out of the Presidential race, many Hollywood stars were already calling for his withdrawal following his shaky performance at the Presidential Debate. The POTUS’ age and failing health also became a question mark when it came to his ability to take on more responsibility for a second term.
Chloe Grace Moretz in Kick-Ass (image credit: Lionsgate Films)
Geroge Clooney was one actor who was keen to see Biden step down despite always praising his efforts as a friend and an admirer. In an editorial for The New York Times, the Oscar winner succinctly stated his reasons for believing that this was the best decision for the country.
I love Joe Biden. As a senator. As a vice president and as president. I consider him a friend, and I believe in him. Believe in his character. Believe in his morals. But the one battle he cannot win is the fight against time. None of us can.
It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe “big F***ing deal” Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.
Clooney’s thoughts were also echoed by author Stephen King in his X handle along with Susan Sarandon who addressed similar concerns in her interview with Variety. But a few Hollywood celebrities supported his decision to step down with kind words about his tenure. Kick-Ass star Chloë Grace Moretz reacted to the President’s statement through a beautiful message that she uploaded on her Instagram story.
Chloë Grace Moretz had words of praise for Joe Biden (image credit: Instagram Stories/ Chloë Grace Moretz
She also added another story on her handle in which she commented on the official statement released by POTUS that confirmed his withdrawal. She caption it with the words,
Our bridge to the next chapter of America. President Joe Biden
Like Moretz, veteran actor Barbara Streisand also firmly lent her support to Biden following his withdrawal from the Presidential race. She detailed her admiration for the President in a post on X.
Joe Biden will go down in history as a man who accomplished significant achievements in his 4 year term. We should be grateful for his upholding of our democracy.
— Barbra Streisand (@BarbraStreisand) July 21, 2024
Singer Cher was more a bit despondent about his resignation (via X), and believed that it would be very difficult for the Democratic Party to win this election without the expertise of Biden. Star Trek Alum George Takei and Star Wars actor Mark Hamill also had glowing words to say about the President and his efforts for the country.
I want to honor our President @JoeBiden. He has served our nation admirably for decades, he is a decent honorable man, a hugely successful president, and a patriot. Now let us unite behind @KamalaHarris and defeat Donald Trump in November!
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) July 21, 2024
.@JoeBiden has a record of accomplishments unmatched by any president in our lifetime. He restored honesty, dignity & integrity to the office after 4 years of lies, crime, scandal & chaos. Thank you for your service, Mr. President. It's now our duty as patriotic Americans to… https://t.co/wTnYkClVIk
— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) July 21, 2024
With Harris stepping in to run for nomination, her first job would be to garner the confidence of her party to win their votes as the official Democratic candidate to enter the Presidential race. If she wins, she will have a tough road ahead to ensure that she beats Donald Trump to take top spot.
