CINCINNATI — Tri-State leaders are reacting after President Joe Biden announced he's dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.
Biden penned a letter to the nation Sunday afternoon, saying serving as president was the greatest honor of his life.
The President immediately after endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place in the race. Harris posted a statement Sunday afternoon thanking Biden and saying she plans to "earn and win this nomination."
Throughout the Tri-State, both Democratic and Republican leaders have reacted to Biden's announcement.
Ohio Sen. JD Vance, who is Donald Trump's running mate in the race, said that Joe Biden is the worst president in his lifetime and "Kamala Harris" has been right there with him every step of the way."
"President Trump and I are ready to save America, whoever's at the top of the Democrat ticket. Bring it on," he wrote via X (formerly Twitter).
Joe Biden has been the worst President in my lifetime and Kamala Harris has been right there with him every step of the way. Over the last four years she co-signed Biden's open border and green scam policies that drove up the cost of housing and groceries. She owns all of these…
— JD Vance (@JDVance1) July 21, 2024
Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval posted to X (formerly Twitter), saying "I have no doubt this decision was difficult, but consistent with his entire career, President Biden put his country before himself."
Pureval went on to thank the president, mentioning that Biden's leadership helped transform Cincinnati.
His leadership saved Cincinnati from an economic crisis and helped transform our economy and infrastructure.
— Aftab Pureval (@AftabPureval) July 21, 2024
Thank you, Mr. President.
Alex Triantafilou, Ohio's GOP chairman, said Biden withdrawing from the race while remaining president is why "American people are so distrustful of this administration."
"If Joe Biden is not fit to be president in January, he is not fit to be president today," Triantafilou wrote in a statement.
— Alex Triantafilou (@ChairmanAlex) July 21, 2024
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who was rumored to be a potential VP nominee for Harris if Biden were to step down, said Biden will be remembered as a "consequential president."
"While his decision today could not have been easy, it is in the best interest of our country, and our party," Beshear wrote.
Read his full statement:
President Biden will be remembered as a consequential president. Along with Vice President Harris, he led us through the aftermath of the January 6th attack on our Capitol and steadily steered us out of a global pandemic. He showed up for Kentucky after devastating tornadoes and historic flooding, delivering immediate federal aid that is helping to rebuild our communities. His leadership provided infrastructure investments that are bringing clean drinking water and high speed internet to parts of Kentucky that for far too long had been overlooked and underserved. President Biden came through on the Brent Spence Companion Bridge Project, getting bipartisan funding for a project that had been stalled for years and is a major thoroughfare for national commerce.
While his decision today could not have been easy, it is in the best interest of our country, and our party. I want to thank him for his leadership, kindness and for a successful presidency that got big, important things done.
Now it is time for our nation to come together. We need to dial down the anger, rancor and noise. We have an opportunity to remember that we are taught to treat our neighbor as yourself—and that we are all each other’s neighbor.
U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement that Americans have dealt with "historic inflation at home, chaos at the border, and weak leadership abroad."
"We cannot afford four more years of failure," McConnell Said.
Read his full statement:
For four years, the American people have faced historic inflation at home, chaos at the border, and weak leadership on the world stage. Our nation is less prosperous and less secure than it was in January, 2021. We cannot afford four more years of failure.
Unfortunately, the Democratic Party has been busy in recent weeks trying to upend the expressed will of the American people in primary elections across the country. Washington Democrats have not proven themselves any more capable than the President of delivering the secure borders, safe streets, and stable prices that working families deserve. They are selling open borders, higher prices, climate radicalism, and soft-on-crime policies, and the American people are not buying.
Congressman Greg Landsman said Biden is "putting the country and our democracy first, as he has done for decades."
The President is putting the country and our democracy first, as he has done for decades.
— Greg Landsman (@GregLandsman) July 21, 2024
His decision is truly a patriotic one. This is quintessential Joe Biden. 🙏🏻💙 https://t.co/fGVuHXy7Ef
Landsman was one of the first officials in Ohio to call for Biden to step down, telling WCPO 9 he believed Harris was the correct person to take over the Democratic bid.
"She will excite young people and she's also a former prosecutor so being able to make the case about where the country needs to go and why Donald Trump is unfit to be President," Landsman said.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said on X (formerly Twitter) that he's known Biden since 1995, when he entered the Senate and served with Biden on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
"Fran and I wish President Biden and the First Lady all the best as he serves out the remainder of his term and in the years ahead," DeWine wrote.
I have known President Biden since 1995, when I entered the U.S. Senate and served with him on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Fran and I wish President Biden and the First Lady all the best as he serves out the remainder of his term and in the years ahead.
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) July 21, 2024
Sen. Sherrod Brown thanked the president via X (formerly Twitter).
I thank President Biden for his years of committed service to the country we love — as Senator, as Vice President, and as President.
— Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) July 21, 2024
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