After weeks of mounting pressure to step aside, President Joe Biden has ended his bid for reelection.
The 81-year-old Biden announced he's dropping out of the race after heavy criticism over his ability to lead at his age.
A historical decision, Biden is the first sitting president since Lyndon B. Johnson to drop out of the presidential race. That was in 1968 but Johnson did so seven months before the election.
Biden, on the other hand, made his announcement less than four months from the election. And he did so just one day after Vice President Kamala Harris was in Provincetown, Massachusetts, speaking on his behalf.
Biden made this decision isolating at his Delaware beach house after being diagnosed with COVID-19 last week, marking an end to his 52 years in politics.
Trump responded by telling NBC News that Biden "is the worst president in the history of the United States by far" and that Biden "should never have been in the race in the first place."
However, local Democrats had a much different response.
"It was the right thing to do. We needed this for the country for the party and I'm proud of the president for making this decision," said Congressman Seth Moulton. "More than half the country didn't want either Biden or Trump to be the nominee. One party has said we hear you America, we're making a change."
Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren also chimed in with a statement saying in part "Joe Biden willingly stepped aside in order to protect our democracy. President Biden's selfless action is a profound gift to the people of the United States — and it's on all of us not to waste it."
The Democratic National Convention is less than a month away, where we should learn who will be replacing Biden atop the ticket.
Now, Democrats are left wondering, what comes next? Because even with Biden's endorsement, Harris still must gain the support of top Democrats to punch in her ticket for the November election.
With less than four months until the election and just four weeks until the Democratic National Convention, this turns this election on its head.
Biden endorsed Harris Sunday, but the delegates Biden won in the primaries do not automatically transfer to Harris.
We are seeing a surge in support for her — some coming from politicians who may be vying for a vice president nod, like California Gov. Gavin Newsome and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
But someone else can still challenge for the nomination.
In fact, two sources who spoke with West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin told NBC News he is considering a run of his own.
Political strategists on both sides of the aisle seem to agree, by waiting until late July to step aside, Biden and his campaign managers haven't given Harris enough room to succeed.
"She's smart and she’s capable and she's qualified, but I don't think there's enough room to turn around this race and I think this is a setup…this didn't just start with the debate. They should have been preparing her then and to throw her into this right now is unfair," said Jacquetta Van Zandt, Democratic strategist.
"I'm not sure if the timing is a little too late, but we'll see in the next coming weeks how this unfolds for the Democrats and I think for once, as a Republican, I'm willing to watch their party in disarray," said Ozzie Palomo, Republican strategist.
One other deadline also looming is Aug. 7 — the previously scheduled virtual nomination and deadline to get on the ballot in Ohio.
