Now that President Joe Biden has dropped out of the 2024 race, Republicans are calling on him to resign as president.
They better be careful what they wish for.
Vice President Kamala Harris is currently the favorite to replace Biden at the top of the ticket. With the Democratic National Convention quickly approaching, it is only a matter of time before Harris cinches the nomination.
If things go according to the Democrats’ plan, Harris will soon officially become the party’s new standard-bearer, an outcome that could spell disaster for Republicans if they get their wish. Shortly after Biden announced he was bowing out of the race, several high-profile Republicans publicly called on the president to resign, arguing that if he can’t run for the White House, he is no longer capable of serving.
Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), former President Donald Trump’s running mate, made this argument in a post on X:
If Joe Biden ends his reelection campaign, how can he justify remaining President?
Not running for reelection would be a clear admission that President Trump was right all along about Biden not being mentally fit enough to serve as Commander-in-Chief.
There is no middle ground.
If Joe Biden ends his reelection campaign, how can he justify remaining President?
— JD Vance (@JDVance) July 21, 2024
Not running for reelection would be a clear admission that President Trump was right all along about Biden not being mentally fit enough to serve as Commander-in-Chief.
There is no middle ground.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) echoed Vance’s points, responding to Biden’s announcement by saying if he “can’t run a mere political campaign,” he “can’t be President”:
Then RESIGN your office. If you can’t run a mere political campaign, you can’t be President https://t.co/wbO9fs0TyN
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) July 21, 2024
Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) asserted that, “Not running for reelection is a clear admission that President Trump was right all along about Biden not being mentally fit enough to serve as Commander-in-Chief”:
Not running for reelection is a clear admission that President Trump was right all along about Biden not being mentally fit enough to serve as Commander-in-Chief.
— Congressman Greg Steube (@RepGregSteube) July 21, 2024
It’s disturbing and reckless that he’s been “running” the country as long as he has…
Let me repeat: if he doesn’t…
If Harris becomes the nominee, Biden resigning would be the optimal outcome, which is why it will not be surprising to see Democrats also demanding the president’s resignation. Convincing Biden to leave his post could become a bipartisan effort.
However, this scenario would benefit Democrats far more than Republicans. If Biden decides it’s time to call it quits, Harris becomes acting president. This would mean that she will be in the captain’s seat running the executive branch, at least until 2025.
Assuming that Harris doesn’t manage to foul anything up between now and November, this could give her quite an edge over Trump. She would essentially be the incumbent already serving in the position for which she is running.
For those who are not too keen on Trump, Harris occupying the Oval Office might allow her to become more appealing to this swath of voters. She can use this opportunity to assuage concerns about her ability to govern, which could make people more comfortable with pulling the lever for her on Election Day.
This is why it would be a bad idea for Republicans to continue pushing for Biden to step down. Right now, his remaining in office presents a better political battlefield for Trump. At this point, both sides need every edge they can get in this race.
