Local officials chimed in on the stunning announcement from the president Sunday.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — In a letter posted to social media Sunday afternoon, Joe Biden said he ended his 2024 presidential campaign, endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris and local reactions starting rolling in.
Florida Democrat Party Chair Nikki Fried called Biden “one of the greatest presidents of our lifetimes.” She called for party unity.
Republican Rep. Aaron Bean said Biden was not fit to lead the country and incapable.
Sen. Rick Scott released a statement that said the Democrats’ “hypocrisy knows no bounds.” He said Biden’s announcement changed nothing though he “welcomed” the news.
“For four years, those closest to Joe Biden, including Kamala Harris, knew he was not fit to be president and lied to the American people in an effort to hold onto their power. It was painfully clear that Biden wasn’t competent for office going way back to 2021. Democrats laughed when I said Biden should be removed from office after his deadly Afghanistan withdrawal disaster. They’re not laughing now. Over those four years, we have seen immense damage done to our country. Our border is wide-open, inflation is crushing American families, and countless Americans have lost their lives at home and abroad due to the policy decisions of Joe Biden and his ‘border czar’ Kamala Harris.“
Orlando area Rep. Anna Eskamani said Biden made the right decision and that the call was “brave and difficult.” Rep. Angie Nixon thanked Biden for his service on X.
Duval County GOP Chair Dean Black told First Coast News:
“The truth is, the Democrat Party is imploding. They’re a circular firing squad. But the Republican Party, we’ve never been more united.”
David Henry, the Duval Democratic Party chair, said:
“I think the only thing that it changes is the person at the top of the ticket, but everything else continues as we were before. We’re committed to make sure that we not only beat Donald Trump this November, but to making sure we carry that message to voters all over Duval.”
