Katie Rogers, Michael D. Shear, Peter Baker and
“I need you and Mike at the house,” President Biden said late Saturday afternoon.
Mr. Biden was on the phone from his vacation home in Rehoboth, Del., with Steve Ricchetti, a counselor to the president and one of his closest advisers. He was referring to Mike Donilon, his chief strategist and longtime speechwriter. Soon, both men were in Rehoboth, socially distanced from the president, who was recovering from Covid.
From that afternoon and far into the night, the three worked on one of the most important and historic letters of Mr. Biden’s presidency — the announcement of his decision to withdraw from his re-election campaign after top Democrats, donors, close allies and friends had pressured him relentlessly to get out.
He would not tell most of his staff until a minute before making the historic announcement to the world on social media on Sunday. Vice President Kamala Harris, whom Mr. Biden went on to endorse, spoke to him earlier on Sunday morning, as did Jeff Zients, his chief of staff, and Jen O’Malley Dillon, his campaign chair. A handful of senior advisers at the White House heard directly from the president on a Zoom call. Others in the West Wing learned when they saw it pop on social media.
“I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down,” he wrote, “and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”
Disclaimer
The information contained in South Florida Reporter is for general information purposes only.
The South Florida Reporter assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in the contents of the Service.
In no event shall the South Florida Reporter be liable for any special, direct, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages or any damages whatsoever, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other tort, arising out of or in connection with the use of the Service or the contents of the Service. The Company reserves the right to make additions, deletions, or modifications to the contents of the Service at any time without prior notice.
The Company does not warrant that the Service is free of viruses or other harmful components
