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Helen Sullivan (now); Maanvi Singh and Chris Stein (earlier)

Newsom backs Harris as best candidate to take on Trump – as it happened

President Joe Biden has announced that he will not seek re-election and has endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.
President Joe Biden has announced that he will not seek re-election and has endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee. Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

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Louisiana delegation to DNC endorses Harris by 'overwhelming majority vote'

The Louisiana delegation to the Democratic National Convention has endorsed Harris after a virtual meeting in which it held a vote in which Harris won an “overwhelming majority”.

The Louisiana Democratic Party Chair Randal Gaines, who also chairs the Louisiana delegation to the convention, said in a statement:

We are grateful to President Joe Biden for his remarkable leadership, and we are committed to honoring his legacy by working tirelessly this fall to keep the White House in Democratic hands. I am proud to share that Louisiana’s Democratic delegates will join President Biden in endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as our nominee. It’s time we come together, and by throwing our full support behind her, we can beat Donald Trump again and continue Joe Biden’s legacy of accomplishments and progress for our country. We look forward to a productive, energizing, and historic convention in which we nominate the first black woman as our Democratic nominee.”

Philadelphia Congressman Brendan Boyle:

New York Congresswoman Grace Meng has posted on X, saying she is “upset. I’m mad that the bullies won.I’m mad that the most accomplished & empathetic @JoeBiden was treated the way he was-even by some in his own party.”

She also said that her child has told her to “stop being sad and start helping” Kamala Harris.

Here is what we know about what Harris’s schedule holds for this week:

  • She will host an event on the South Lawn of the White House on Monday with sports teams from across the country that won NCAA championships this year.

  • She is planning to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to Washington later this week.

  • Harris also has a previously scheduled campaign swing to Milwaukee on Tuesday.

All six Black US state attorneys general have voiced their support for Harris, too. In a statement on X, they say she, “has staunchly defended our right to choose and preserved our most sacred right to vote. There is no one more qualified to lead and continue to uphold the values of our great nation.”

The statement lists Letitia James, New York; Kwame Raoul, Illinois; Anthony Brown, Maryland; Andrea Campbell, Massachusetts; Keith Ellison, Minnesota; and Aaron Ford, Nevada.

CNBC’s Washington correspondent, Emily Wilkins, and Democrat pollster and strategist Matt McDermott report that donations have now passed $50m:

The only other day where $50m was raised in a single day was after Ruth Bader Ginsberg died, McDermott says – the Guardian has not confirmed this independently:

Biden’s campaign website, joebiden.com, now automatically redirects to a fundraising page.

Here is a chart from Bloomberg economist Michael McDonough:

The Democratic delegations of multiple states have decided to back Vice President Kamala Harris for the party nomination at next month’s national convention, the AP reports.

“Tonight, all 168 delegates of the North Carolina Democratic Party made history,” North Carolina party chair Anderson Clayton said in a post on Twitter/X.

In South Carolina, party chair Christale Spain said in an email statement Sunday night that that state’s delegation met virtually. The vice president “has been fully vetted, and she has earned our unwavering support,” Spain said.

Harris received her first delegates earlier in the day from Tennessee, when the state party posted on X that its delegation voted during a meeting to back her.

Another state where the switch was made was New Hampshire, where the 25 pledged delegates voted unanimously Sunday night to endorse Harris.

ActBlue says $46.7m raised between Biden announcement and 9pm ET

The liberal political action committee ActBlue has just announced that Democrats have donated $46.7 million dollars in the seven hours from Biden announcing that he would withdraw to 9pm ET.

It is the “biggest fundraising day of the 2024 cycle”, the organization said on Twitter/X:

The New York Times editorial board has written an opinion piece praising Biden’s decision to withdraw.

“Mr. Biden has now done what Mr. Trump never will: He has placed the national interest above his own pride and ambition,” the board writes.

On Harris, it says:

Choosing Ms. Harris would be a reasonable path for Democrats to take; she has been Mr. Biden’s running mate, and while no votes were cast for her as a presidential candidate in primaries, the president’s voters expected her to be on the ticket in November.

Nonetheless, party delegates should have a voice in a decision of this consequence. There are other qualified Democrats who could take on Mr. Trump and win, and picking a candidate without a real contest is how the party got into a position of anointing a standard-bearer that large majorities of Democrats and independents had profound concerns about. While the hour is late, there is still time to put leading candidates through a process of public scrutiny before the party’s nominating convention begins on Aug. 19, to inform the choice of a nominee and to build public support.

Biden started to come to the conclusion that he should withdraw on Saturday evening, AP reports. He was at his beach home with some of his and Jill Biden’s closest aides: chief strategist Mike Donilon, counselor to the president Steve Ricchetti, White House deputy chief of staff Annie Tomasini, and Anthony Bernal, senior adviser to the first lady.

AP:

By Sunday, his decision crystallized. He spoke multiple times with Vice President Kamala Harris, whom he would endorse. He informed White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, and his longtime aide and campaign chairwoman Jen O’Malley Dillon.

A small group of senior advisers from both the campaign and the White House were assembled for the 1.45pm. call to relay Biden’s decision, while his campaign staff released the social media announcement one minute later.

Just about a half-hour later came his public vote of support for Harris. It was a carefully choreographed strategy meant to give the president’s initial statement full weight, and to put a period on the moment before launching forward into the next step.

The president had lost his voice, but he was recovering well and his doctor had sent an update to the public shortly before 1pm on his condition. His small circle decided to post the statement on X on Sunday, rather than let it leak out for days before he was prepared to address the nation, which he is expected to do sometime early this week.

Much of his campaign was blindsided, and it was clear by how little had changed after he dropped out. For hours after the announcement, Biden’s campaign website reflected that he was still running and KamalaHarris.com still redirected to Biden’s page.

Even Harris’ statement announcing her intent to succeed Biden was sent from “Joe Biden for President.”

Biden’s staff knew about his decision a minute before it was made public, the AP reports:

At 1.45pm on Sunday, President Joe Biden’s senior staff was notified that he was stepping away from the 2024 race. At 1.46pm., that message was made public.

It was never Biden’s intention to leave the race: up until he decided to step aside Sunday, he was all in.

His campaign was planning fundraisers and events and setting up travel over the next few weeks. But even as Biden was publicly dug in and insisting he was staying in the race, he was quietly reflecting on the disaster of the past few weeks, on the past three years of his presidency and on the scope of his half-century career in politics.

In the end, it was the president’s decision alone, and he made it quietly, from his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, sick with COVID-19, the first lady with him as he talked it through with a small circle of people who have been with him for decades.

And in celebrity endorsements, the pop star Charli xcx has delivered her verdict on whether Harris is or is not “Brat”, the spirit of this summer, as the Guardian has called it:

Updated

America’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization, UnidosUS, has responded to Biden stepping down, saying: “We respect President Biden’s difficult and principled decision.” Janet Murguía, president and CEO of UnidosUS, issued the following statement:

We respect President Biden’s difficult and principled decision to not seek re-election and put the best interest of the country first. The president noted in his letter the many accomplishments of the Biden-Harris administration. We agree that the country has made significant progress in the last three and a half years, including for millions of Latino families, and there is still more that can be done before 2025. We look forward to continuing working with the president and his administration on our mutual priorities to add to this record of accomplishment.”

News Hour’s White House correspondent, Laura Barrón-López, reports, citing multiple unnamed sources, that Bold Democrats, the Committee for Hispanic Causes’ political action committee, has voted meanwhile to endorse Harris for nominee:

Updated

Politico has taken a look at what the Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, has been up to behind the scenes since Biden’s disastrous debate performance on 27 June.

Schumer met with Biden after an 11 July caucus meeting, Politico reports, finishing the meeting by telling Biden, “I do not expect you to walk out of this room making a decision, but I hope you will think about what I said.”

He contacted White House chief of staff Jeff Zients and Biden adviser Steve Ricchetti to coordinate the meeting, which ultimately happened on July 11. Ricchetti attended, as did senior Biden advisers Mike Donilon and Jen O’Malley Dillon.

But the gathering did little to quell Senate Democrats’ concerns over the president’s standing, with many telling POLITICO shortly afterward that they still were wary of the president topping the ticket in November. And Schumer remained worried that caucus concerns were not getting through to the president, per the person close to him.

Schumer called House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former President Barack Obama following the July 11 caucus meeting, the person close to him added. The senator spoke with Obama multiple times, and kept in close contact with Jeffries, Zients and Ricchetti in the weeks following the debate.

Schumer later held a one-on-one meeting with Biden in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. He’d tried to urge Biden to consider his legacy and the implications of a second term for former President Donald Trump, including what that would mean for the Supreme Court, according to a person with knowledge of the meeting.

According to that same person, Schumer finished the meeting by telling Biden, “I do not expect you to walk out of this room making a decision, but I hope you will think about what I said.” The president said he needed another week. The two then hugged.

Updated

CNN reports, citing an unnamed source, that Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer was on a Harris for President staff call. The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman has also reported this:

Whitmer has been among the names mentioned to replace Biden.

The Michigan governor, 52, was on the shortlist for VP pick for Biden in 2020, and a strong showing in the midterms for the Democratic party was in part attributed to her governorship. She has been in favour of stricter gun laws, repealing abortion bans and backing universal preschool.

Updated

A useful explainer (and reminder) from PBS when it comes to state ballots:

Harris has spent much of Sunday afternoon calling Democratic elected officials and delegates, the AP reports, as she works to lock up her party’s nomination.

One call was with Congressional Hispanic Caucus chairwoman Nanette Barragán, who told the AP that she was “all in” behind the vice president and urged donations on her behalf.

Barragán said she was caught in a moment of both sadness and excitement as she digested the news of Biden’s withdrawal. But in her call with Harris, the vice president stressed to her: “We’re in this to win it.”

Harris also communicated that she preferred to forego a virtual roll call for the nomination process and instead hold a process that adheres to regular order, the AP reports.

“This is the moment for us to unite and coalesce around the vice president and focus around Donald Trump,” Barragán said.

Harris also spoke with Representative Annie Kuster, who leads the New Democrat Coalition, an influential bloc of center-left lawmakers. Kuster endorsed Harris on Sunday afternoon.

The Service Employees International Union, which represents roughly two million workers, per its website, has endorsed Harris as a “powerful and steady voice advocating for working people”:

New York governor Kathy Hochul endorses Harris

Kathy Hochul, the governor of New York, has endorsed Harris, saying, “she is the right candidate to unite our country and I am confident she will deliver for New Yorkers.”

The Progressive Caucus PAC has just endorsed Harris, saying she will defeat Trump “not only because she offers a stronger economic vision, but because she will defend the fundamental rights and freedoms that MAGA Republicans are attacking across the nation.”

You can read the full statement here.

Democrat strategist Kenneth Pennington says that the Democrats have now raised $38m on ActBlue in the seven hours since Biden’s announcement:

Amy Klobuchar endorses Harris

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar has endorsed Harris:

Harris has sent a fundraising email that begins, “I am running to be President of the United States”, according to MSNBC producer Kyle Griffin:

Updated

Bloomberg and Politico are reporting that Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer will announce that she doesn’t plan on competing with Harris for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Both outlets quote an unnamed source “with knowledge of the matter”. This has not been confirmed by the Guardian.

The Associated Press reports that Whitmer has said she won’t run. Whitmer told the AP earlier in July that she would not stand against Harris in the then-hypothetical event that Biden dropped out.

Whitmer has not endorsed Harris, but released a statement about Biden, saying Biden’s leadership would go down in history, and that “My job in this election will remain the same: doing everything I can to elect Democrats and stop Donald Trump, a convicted felon whose agenda of raising families’ costs, banning abortion nationwide, and abusing the power of the White House to settle his own scores is completely wrong for Michigan.”

Updated

The Associated Press has spoken to voters in the wake of Biden’s announcement. Here is what they had to say:

Jerod Keene, a 40-year-old athletic trainer from swing-state Arizona, had planned to vote for Biden in November but was thankful for the president’s decision, calling it “inevitable”. Keene said he was excited about the next candidate, hoping it will be Vice President Kamala Harris, whom Biden endorsed on Sunday.

“Kamala Harris is the easiest pick based on the fact that she’s vice-president and it would be tough for the party to try to go a different direction on that,” said Keene, who lives in Tucson. “And I think she seems ready.”

In Pittsburgh, Fred Johnston said he has been terrified of another Trump presidency and had long worried that Biden couldn’t beat Trump again. After seeing Biden’s wobbly debate performance, he was eager for Biden to drop out and hand off his candidacy to Harris.

“Kamala is someone we can vote for, and that’s what we need,” Johnston said.

He also thinks she can win Pennsylvania: “I have no logical basis for this, but it’s good to have hope. I haven’t had hope for a while.”

In Las Vegas, Lucy Ouano, 68, said she was proud of both Biden’s decision to drop out of the race and his move to quickly endorse Harris.

“He’s ending on a great note,” Ouano said. “Trump should be worried. He’s now running against someone strong.”

Ouano, who emigrated in 1960 to the US from Thailand as a young child with her parents, said: “She’s going to get the Asians drummed up, and she’s going to get the women drummed up.”

Updated

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorses Harris

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has endorsed Harris. Ocasio-Cortez was a notable hold-out when Congressional Democrats were calling on Biden to step down.

“Kamala Harris will be the next President of the United States. I pledge my full support to ensure her victory in November,” Ocasio-Cortez said on Twitter/X:

Updated

Top Democrats endorse Harris amid flurry of donations

If you’re just joining us, senior Democrats, including some of those who have been named as possible contenders for the presidential or vice-presidential nomination, endorsed Kamala Harris for the nomination on Sunday, within hours of Biden announcing that he would be dropping out of the race.

And donors rushed to donate to the party, with $30m raised by Sunday evening, according to New York Times analysis. One strategist said it might be the “greatest fundraising moment in Democratic party history”.

Democrats quickly rallied around Vice-President Kamala Harris as their likely presidential nominee on Sunday in a volatile and fast-moving political situation just months before the November election.

Shortly after Biden stepped aside he firmly endorsed Harris, who would make history as the nation’s first Black and South Asian woman to become a major party’s presidential nominee. Other endorsements flowed from Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, the first major female presidential nominee, and prominent US senators, a wide swath of House representatives and members of the influential Congressional Black Caucus.

Barack Obama and the former House speaker Nancy Pelosi have not explicitly endorsed Harris. Harris says she intends to “earn and win” the nomination.

Harris was making calls late in the day to congressional lawmakers and racking up support, including from Representative Annie Kuster of New Hampshire, the chair of the New Democrat Coalition, a moderate caucus on Capitol Hill, who endorsed Harris on Sunday.

The Democratic National Committee chairman, Jaime Harrison, promised a “transparent and orderly process”.

Among top potential contenders, the the governors Gavin Newsom of California, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Roy Cooper of North Carolina all endorsed Harris on Sunday.

The Washington senator Patty Murray said she was behind Harris “100 percent”. The Virginia senator Mark Warner said Harris “has the experience, energy, and resolve to lead our nation”. The Connecticut senator Chris Murphy said he would be “enthusiastically supporting my friend”.

The Hawaii senator Mazie Hirono, Minnesota senator Tina Smith, Virginia senator Tim Kaine and California senator Laphonza Butler also said they would support Harris, who had served as a US senator, as did a growing number of Democratic House lawmakers.

“She has what it takes to defeat Donald Trump and lead our country thoughtfully and with integrity,” Cooper said on social media.

Updated

Democrats raise $30 million within hours of Biden's announcement

Democrats donated $30m within hours of Biden announcing his exit, making it the biggest fundraising day in years, according to New York Times reporting, which showed that donations went from an average of under $200,000 an hour to $7.5m in a single hour on Sunday.

One strategist said it might be the “greatest fundraising moment in Democratic party history”.

Updated

Cori Bush endorses Harris

Congresswoman Cori Bush has released a statement thanking Biden for stepping down and “prioritizing our nation’s needs”, and endorsing Kamala Harris for president.

She writes:

The majority of voters across our country are unequivocal in their support for an agenda that recognizes the humanity of ALL people across the world, a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the genocide of Palestinians, student debt cancellation, living wages, affordable housing, and full reproductive freedom. With today’s announcement, Biden has signaled that he has heard and is listening to the voices of millions of voters. The decision to pass the torch to a new generation is a principled and necessary one.

In 2020, voters turned out to deliver Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to the White House. The people’s vote was a vote not only for President Biden, but a vote for Vice President Kamala Harris and her ability to defeat MAGA extremism across the country. When we say trust Black women, we mean it. Black women are the backbone of the Democratic Party and it is past time for us to lead our country forward. Kamala Harris is more than ready to lead at this moment. As we look forward to November, it is clear to me that Vice President Kamala Harris has the vision to carry this legacy forward, defeat Donald Trump, and I unequivocally endorse her for President of the United States.”

Hello, this is Helen Sullivan taking over our live US politics coverage following Biden’s announcement that he is withdrawing from the presidential race. I’ll be with you for the next while.

Here's the latest...

Joe Biden has become the first president in 56 years to call off his campaign for re-election, brought down by a disastrous performance in his late June debate against Republican nominee Donald Trump that caused a marked decline in his public support, and sparked a pressure campaign by his fellow Democrats to convince him to bow out. The president announced his decision on Twitter/X, as well as his support for Kamala Harris to take his place. The vice-president replied that “my intention is to earn and win this nomination”, while the Democratic party chair, Jaime Harrison, said “the party will undertake a transparent and orderly process” to find a new candidate.

Here are some of the of major developments in this breaking story:

  • A few hours after Biden dropped his re-election bid, his campaign fund was renamed “Harris for President”.

  • Barack Obama called Biden “one of America’s most consequential presidents”, but did not endorse Harris and seemed to indicate he wanted an open nomination process at the Democratic national convention next month, in Chicago.

  • Hillary and Bill Clinton quickly threw their support behind Harris, as have most prominent Democrats, including would-be rivals including the California governor, Gavin Newsom.

  • Democratic donors appear to be energized. The liberal political action committee ActBlue announced that it collected $27.5m in small donor contributions following Biden’s resignation and his endorsement of Harris.

  • The Democratic former House speaker Nancy Pelosi was a major figure in pressuring Biden to end his re-election bid, and she spoke glowingly of him after he left the race.

  • The independent senator Joe Manchin, a center-right political figure who resigned from the Democratic party, is considering re-enrolling in order to run for pressident, according to multiple reports.

  • Donald Trump heaped scorn on Biden, saying he “was not fit to run for president, and is certainly not fit to serve”.

  • Top Republicans in Congress, including the House speaker, Mike Johnson, and other senior House lawmakers, called on Biden to resign immediately. Notably, Mitch McConnell, the GOP’s Senate minority leader, did not.

  • The British prime minister, Keir Starmer, noted his “respect” for Joe Biden’s decision to exit the presidential race.

Updated

IfNotNow, a movement led by Jewish Americans opposed to the US support for Israel, has called on Harris to endorse a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

The organization’s national spokesperson Eva Borgwardt wrote:

We are relieved that President Biden has chosen to step aside given the urgent need to avert a second Trump presidency. If Vice President Harris is serious about winning, she must reflect the will of the majority of Democrats and Americans, including American Jews, by supporting a ceasefire, hostage exchange, and an offensive arms embargo on the Israeli military. We are heartened by reports that she pushed the Biden administration to call for a ceasefire and hope that she will work to end the genocidal assault on Gaza and towards genuine equality, justice, and safety for both Palestinians and Israelis. We vow to keep the pressure on her to do so.

Biden had faced broad criticism for his continued support for Israel through its attacks on Gaza, which have killed 38,000. The administration’s lack of action to stop Israel’s attacks could alienate several groups of Democratic voters, especially young voters, who have been calling for a ceasefire in demonstrations at universities across the US.

Updated

Pete Buttigieg, the transportation secretary, has also joined the chorus of Democrats backing Harris.

He’s another prominent politician with possible presidential aspirations. He ran against both Biden and Harris during the 2020 Democratic primaries.

Gavin Newsom, whose name was widely circulating as a potential successor to Joe Biden, has endorsed Kamala Harris for president.

The California governor has been taking steps for months to gain a national profile. He had solidly backed Biden as a surrogate, though speculation over his own presidential ambitions gained steam following the president’s poor debate performance.

Both Newsom and Harris hail from the Bay Area and came up together in California politics. Supporters of Newsom had speculated over whether he could rally support at an open Democratic convention. But today, he has solidly endorsed Harris.

Updated

Here’s a very relevant flashback from Nikki Haley’s presidential run …

Back when the former South Carolina governor and UN ambassador was running against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, she said: “The first party to retire its 80-year-old candidate is going to be the one who wins.”

Updated

Meanwhile, donors have been energized by today’s developments.

Per ActBlue, the liberal political action committee, small-dollar donors raised $27.5m in the first five hours after Joe Biden dropped out of the race. The Pac had reported that donations surged after Biden endorsed Harris for president.

Updated

One thing that should make a Donald Trump v Kamala Harris election especially interesting is the fact that he and his daughter Ivanka Trump had both previously donated to Harris’s past political campaigns.

Here’s some Washington Post reporting from 2020, when Biden first chose Harris as his running mate:

Trump gave $5,000 to Harris’s campaign in September 2011 and $1,000 in February 2013. His daughter Ivanka Trump gave Harris’s campaign $2,000 in 2014, records show.

Harris, now the running mate of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, was California’s attorney general from 2011 until 2016 — when she was elected to the U.S. Senate. In 2015, the year Trump began his campaign for president, Harris said she gave Trump’s donations to charity.

In the past, Harris has faced questions about whether Trump’s donations were related to the legal troubles of Trump University, the future president’s ill-fated school. Former students have said that Trump’s school misled them into spending thousands of dollars, on the false promise that they would receive a life-changing lesson in real estate. Instead, they said, the classes offered little of value, and instructors spent most of their time pitching other Trump University classes to the students.

Updated

Reports: Manchin considering a run for president

We’re also seeing scattered reports that Joe Manchin, the center-right West Virginia senator who left the Democratic party and is now an independent, may consider challenging Kamala Harris.

CNN’s Jake Tapper and MSNBC’s Sam Stein report that Manchin is mulling a run for president, and is considering a return to the Democratic party in order to do so. The Guardian has not yet confirmed their reporting.

Manchin recently said he’d left the Democratic party because “it’s not the Democratic party I grew up in, that I always knew” in an interview with Tapper.

He also said earlier that it was time for Biden “to pass the torch to a new generation”. The senator is 76 years old – just a few years younger than Biden. Technically, he is just barely of a newer generation. Biden is part of the silent generation (people born between 1928 and 1945) and Manchin is a baby boomer (born between 1946 and 1964).

Updated

The New York Times, citing anonymous sources, is reporting that Biden ultimately drafted his resignation message with just two close advisors: Steve Ricchetti and Mike Donilon.

The Guardian has not verified the reporting.

Here’s the Times:

Mr. Biden was on the phone from his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Del., with Steve Ricchetti, one of his closest advisers. The president was referring to Mike Donilon, his chief strategist. 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 — 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 finalized the decision only on Sunday morning and then made separate calls to three people to let them know: Vice President Kamala Harris; Jeffrey D. Zients, the White House chief of staff; and Jen O’Malley Dillon, the campaign chairwoman. He would not tell most of his staff until a minute before making his announcement to the world on social media on Sunday.

Updated

Liz Cheney, a Trump critic and former Republican representative , praised Biden for his decision.

Updated

Independent candidates for president Cornel West and Robert F Kennedy Jr have weighed in on Biden’s decision to step down.

Here’s Kennedy, who recently apologized to Donald Trump after audio of the two talking was leaked.

In leaked audio, Trump was heard offering him some sort of political deal. The two also discussed conspiracy theories about vaccines, which Kennedy gained notoriety for spreading during the pandemic.

West,another long shot challenger, meanwhile focused his message on Biden’s record on Gaza. West has been among critics of the president’s record of supporting Israel through its bombardment of Gaza, which has killed 38,000 people.

Updated

Joe Biden’s granddaughter, Naomi Biden, has released a statement from her father, Hunter Biden, about the president’s decision to end his re-election campaign:

Joe Biden has stood by Hunter, his son, as he struggled with drug addiction, and after his conviction last month on federal charges related to lying on a background check form required to purchase a firearm. Hunter Biden is also expected to go on trial on tax evasion charges in September:

Among the names discussed as potential successors to Joe Biden is Josh Shapiro, who Pennsylvania voters elected as their governor two years ago.

Count him out, because Shapiro just endorsed Kamala Harris:

It does indeed sound like Kamala Harris is not wasting any time consolidating Democratic support.

Washington congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, who chairs the Congressional Progressive caucus, said she just got off the phone with the vice-president, and reiterated her support:

Updated

Adam Schiff was one of the most prominent House Democrats to call on Joe Biden to exit the race.

Now, the California lawmaker, who is likely to be elected the state’s next senator in the November elections, has endorsed his Northern California counterpart, Kamala Harris:

Updated

When dozens of Democrats urged Joe Biden to step down from the campaign, one of the reasons they repeatedly cited was electability.

Not only was the president reeling from public gaffes and a disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump, but he had been trailing his predecessor in the polls for months. While it was usually just by a few percentage points, sometimes within the margin of error, Trump’s apparent advantage prompted a steady stream of Democrats to publicly ask, after the debate, if Biden could win.

Enter Kamala Harris.

When Biden announced his departure from the race on Sunday, he threw his support behind his vice-president, who said she would work to secure her party’s nomination. Current polling shows that Harris hasn’t trounced Trump but appears to be performing better than Biden, according to the New York Times.

In recent analyses cited by the newspaper, Harris lags behind Trump by two percentage points, putting their national average at 46% and 48%, respectively. This is slightly better than Biden’s 44% performance to Trump’s 47%.

Swing state polls cited by the Times appear positive for Harris; in data collected, she was only one point lower than Trump in Pennsylvania. In Virginia, the Times notes, she cruised to victory with a five-point lead over Trump, whereas Biden was up by only a slim margin in a state he carried overwhelmingly in 2020.

It’s worth noting: this swing-state polling was performed before the attempted assassination of Trump. Given how quickly Biden’s departure from the race and Harris’s potential candidacy is unfolding, it remains to be seen how the attempt on Trump’s life will impact these new developments.

Updated

Axios reports that Kamala Harris is currently working the phones to consolidate Democrats around her candidacy for president – and that Barack Obama will not make an endorsement until the party does.

With Biden out of the race, the nearly 4,000 Democratic delegates to the party convention next month in Chicago will take on renewed prominence, as they will determine who the party selects as his replacement. And while kingmakers like Barack Obama and Bill and Hillary Clinton could play a role in swaying them, Axios heard from a person familiar with Obama’s thinking, who said he was not planning to sidestep the party’s process:

Just like he did in 2020 once Joe Biden earned the nomination, President Obama believes he will be uniquely positioned to help unite the party once we have a nominee, lift up that candidate, and do everything he can to get that candidate elected in November.

Updated

Joe Biden announced he would bow out of the presidential race with a post on Twitter/X at 1.46pm ET, then endorsed Kamala Harris less than 30 minutes later.

In the time since, we haven’t heard a peep from the president. He has no public events scheduled today, and the last communication from the pool reporter accompanying him in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where Biden is recovering from Covid-19, was at 1pm, and was just to point to a statement from his doctor about his condition.

That leaves the three posts Biden made on his X account as his sole public statements regarding his decision to quit his campaign – the letter announcing the decision is not on the White House website, nor on his campaign’s.

It is worth pointing out that, back in 1968, most Americans learned that Democratic president Lyndon B Johnson was ending his re-election campaign when he spoke on TV. Here’s CSPAN with a look back at that moment:

However, in his letter announcing his exit, Biden said: “I will speak to the nation later this week in more detail about my decision.” So, Biden will likely make a speech, just not today.

Updated

Biden's re-election campaign renamed 'Harris for President', record shows

A few hours after Joe Biden dropped his re-election bid, his campaign fund was renamed “Harris for President”, a filing with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) shows.

Another document filed by the previous Biden for President campaign to the FEC notes that Harris is “no longer a candidate” for vice-president and is instead a candidate for president and “will henceforth be conducting campaign activities only in pursuit of that office”.

The move gives Harris, already the frontrunner for the presidency among Democrats, access to the Biden campaign coffers. A campaign filing yesterday showed the campaign has nearly $96m in cash on hand.

Updated

Indivisible, one of the largest progressive US organizations, praised Joe Biden for his decision and said the group would back Kamala Harris.

“This was a once-in-a-generation act of statesmanship. President Biden did what he thought was right for his country, and he did it with trademark decency, honesty, and a humbling dedication to public service,” the organization said in a statement.

“In this moment, we’re filled with gratitude for our President for his sacrifice, and for our Vice President as she prepares to pick up the torch.”

Indivisible said it asked its local leaders on Saturday whether they would support Harris if Biden dropped out. An “incredible” 95.6% of the local chapters’ leaders said “yes”.

“Vice President Kamala Harris is meeting the moment with all the tenacity and clarity of purpose that we need from our standard bearer,” Indivisible said.

“Indivisible is fully behind her candidacy. We’re ready to fight alongside her for every single vote.”

The organization’s comments in support of Harris come as Democrats are swiftly rallying behind the vice-president, who said that she will seek the presidential nomination. Democrats’ seeming unity around Harris’s potential nomination marks a sharp contrast from the past several weeks, during which the party was afflicted by infighting over whether Biden should step down.

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Biden exited race 'based on what he believes is best for the American people', British PM Starmer says

British prime minister Keir Starmer noted his “respect” for Joe Biden’s decision to exit the presidential race, in a brief post on Twitter/X:

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Summary: Joe Biden endorses Kamala Harris after stepping aside; Harris vows 'to earn and win this nomination'

Joe Biden has become the first president in 56 years to call off his campaign for re-election, brought down by a disastrous performance in his late June debate against Republican nominee Donald Trump that caused a marked decline in his public support, and sparked a pressure campaign by his fellow Democrats to convince him to bow out. The president announced his decision on Twitter/X, as well as his support for Kamala Harris to take his place. The vice-president replied that “my intention is to earn and win this nomination”, while Democratic chair Jaime Harrison said “the party will undertake a transparent and orderly process” to find a new candidate.

Here are some of the of major developments in this breaking story:

  • Barack Obama called Biden “one of America’s most consequential presidents”, but did not endorse Harris and seemed to indicate he wanted an open nomination process at the Democratic national convention next month, in Chicago.

  • Hillary and Bill Clinton quickly threw their support behind Harris.

  • Democratic former House speaker Nancy Pelosi was a major figure in pressuring Biden to end his re-election bid, and spoke glowingly of him after he left the race.

  • Donald Trump heaped scorn on Biden, saying he “was not fit to run for president, and is certainly not fit to serve”.

  • Top Republicans in Congress, including speaker Mike Johnson and other senior House lawmakers, called on Biden to resign immediately. Notably, Mitch McConnell, the GOP’s Senate minority leader, did not.

Updated

Democratic social media accounts have begun circulating one of Kamala Harris’s advertisements from her failed 2020 run for president as a sign of what she might soon deploy against Donald Trump:

Influential Democratic congressman Clyburn endorses Harris

Jim Clyburn is one of the House Democrats closest to Joe Biden, having played a big role in getting him the party’s nomination in 2020, and publicly defending him following his fumbling debate performance in June.

In a new statement, Clyburn threw his support behind Kamala Harris to succeed Biden:

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Politicians across the world have voiced support for Joe Biden following his announcement that he will suspend his presidential campaign.

Simon Harris, Taoiseach of Ireland, was among the foreign leaders reacting to Biden’s decision with praise.

“President Biden has been a voice for reason, effective multilateralism and shared solutions,” Harris said in a statement. He said that Biden and the US saw “early on” that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was “an attack on international law and democratic freedom” and that the aggressor would not stop with its neighbor.

Isaac Herzog, the president of Israel, said that he wanted to extend his “heartfelt thanks” to Biden for “his friendship and steadfast support for the Israeli people over his decades-long career” and noted that he was the first US president to visit the country in wartime.

“He is a symbol of the unbreakable bond between our two peoples,” Herzog said.

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Kamala Harris is far from the only Democrat with aspirations of making it to the White House.

Indeed, the party has what some would call a bench stacked with talent, such as California governor Gavin Newsom, transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg, Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro, and several others.

But none are as prominent as Harris, who also has the president’s endorsement, and CBS News reports that both Whitmer and Newsom do not plan to challenge her for the party’s nomination:

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Anti-war voters who aligned behind an “uncommitted” movement to protest Biden’s stance on the Gaza war want to see Kamala Harris “take a clear stance” against US weapons being sent to Israel.

The uncommitted movement won 29 delegates to the Democratic convention and plans to use these delegates to push an anti-war message, though with Biden out, all his delegates become uncommitted as well. After Biden’s debate performance, some looked to see how the uncommitted movement could pick up more influence in the convention, though leaders said they would remain focused solely on the anti-war message.

If Harris ends up the Democratic nominee, leaders of the national uncommitted movement say she needs to stand against any funding of Israel in the war.

“It’s time to align our actions with our values,” uncommitted national leader Layla Elabed said in a statement. “Vice-President Harris can start the process to earn back trust by turning the page from Biden’s horrific policies in Gaza.”

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Harris says 'my intention is to earn and win this nomination'

Kamala Harris says she will seek the Democratic presidential nomination after Joe Biden endorsed her as his successor following his decision to suspend his re-election campaign.

From a just-released statement:

I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination. Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election. And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead. I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party — and unite our nation – to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda.

We have 107 days until Election Day. Together, we will fight. And together, we will win.

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Obama calls Biden 'patriot of the highest order', makes no endorsement of successor

In a statement, Barack Obama, under whom Joe Biden served as vice-president, praised his decision to exit the presidential race, without endorsing his successor.

“Joe Biden has been one of America’s most consequential presidents, as well as a dear friend and partner to me. Today, we’ve also been reminded — again — that he’s a patriot of the highest order,” Obama said.

The former president was reportedly among those who did not believe Biden could win a second term in office following his botched first debate against Donald Trump. While Obama does not comment on that in his statement, he does talk at length about Biden’s decision to suspend his campaign:

This outstanding track record gave President Biden every right to run for re-election and finish the job he started. Joe understands better than anyone the stakes in this election — how everything he has fought for throughout his life, and everything that the Democratic Party stands for, will be at risk if we allow Donald Trump back in the White House and give Republicans control of Congress.

I also know Joe has never backed down from a fight. For him to look at the political landscape and decide that he should pass the torch to a new nominee is surely one of the toughest in his life. But I know he wouldn’t make this decision unless he believed it was right for America. It’s a testament to Joe Biden’s love of country — and a historic example of a genuine public servant once again putting the interests of the American people ahead of his own that future generations of leaders will do well to follow.

Finally, Obama hints that he would like there to be an open nomination process at the Democratic convention scheduled to be held in Chicago in August:

We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges. I believe that Joe Biden’s vision of a generous, prosperous, and united America that provides opportunity for everyone will be on full display at the Democratic Convention in August. And I expect that every single one of us are prepared to carry that message of hope and progress forward into November and beyond.

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Senate Democrats announce endorsements of Kamala Harris

In the two hours since Joe Biden suspended his re-election campaign, Democratic senators have been particularly quick to endorse Kamala Harris as his successor.

Here’s Massachusetts’ Elizabeth Warren, a progressive who squared off against both Biden and Harris in the primaries leading up to the 2020 election:

And Virginia’s Mark Warner:

President Biden has made historic contributions to our nation. His love of country and loyalty to the American people has been unwavering. He will undoubtedly go down in the history books as a true American patriot.

After all he’s done, I respect President Biden’s difficult decision to step aside in this upcoming election, and I look forward to hearing more from him later this week.

While there has to be an orderly process and the decision ultimately rests in the hands of the DNC delegates, I believe Vice President Harris has the experience, energy, and resolve to lead our nation.

This November, we must defeat Donald Trump and his backwards agenda.

As well as Tammy Baldwin, who represents swing state Wisconsin, and is a top target of Republicans in November:

Today I’m proud to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for President of the United States. I look forward to her candidacy as a new beginning for our party and our country and I am excited to work with her to lower costs for Wisconsin families, grow our Made in America economy, and restore our fundamental rights and freedoms.

Updated

Independent senator Bernie Sanders was one of the loudest voices in the chamber calling on Joe Biden to remain in the race after his poorly received performance at the first debate with Donald Trump.

He made no endorsement following the president’s decision to end his campaign:

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Top Senate Republican McConnell accuses Democrats of 'trying to upend the expressed will of the American people'

Echoing his House counterpart Mike Johnson, the Senate’s top Republican Mitch McConnell insinuated that Democrats were overturning the will of their voters, after Joe Biden decided to end his re-election campaign.

Here’s what McConnell had to say:

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.

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Hillary and Bill Clinton endorse Kamala Harris as Joe Biden's successor

Bill and Hillary Clinton have endorsed Kamala Harris to succeed Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee:

Hillary Clinton was the first female Democratic nominee for president, but lost to Donald Trump.

Pelosi, a major player in president's withdrawal, says: 'God blessed America with Joe Biden’s greatness and goodness'

Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi was an orchestrator of the campaign to pressure Joe Biden to end his re-election bid following his stumbling performance against Donald Trump in their first debate.

She was nonetheless magnanimous about his decision to withdraw and, in a statement, did not endorse fellow San Francisco politico Kamala Harris as his successor:

President Joe Biden is a patriotic American who has always put our country first. His legacy of vision, values and leadership make him one of the most consequential Presidents in American history.

With love and gratitude to President Biden for always believing in the promise of America and giving people the opportunity to reach their fulfillment.

God blessed America with Joe Biden’s greatness and goodness.

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Democratic party chair vows 'transparent and orderly process' to find new candidate

All eyes will soon be on party chair Jaime Harrison as the Democrats scramble to find a new presidential contender following Joe Biden’s exit from the race less than four months before election day.

Biden had not been officially nominated, but had the delegates necessary after winning every state in the primaries. In a statement, Harrison acknowledged that the party was in an “unprecedented” situation, but will work to anoint another candidate, without naming names or giving details:

The work that we must do now, while unprecedented, is clear. In the coming days, the Party will undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward as a united Democratic Party with a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump in November. This process will be governed by established rules and procedures of the Party. Our delegates are prepared to take seriously their responsibility in swiftly delivering a candidate to the American people.

Democrats are prepared and united in our resolve to win in November. As we move forward to formally select our Party’s nominee, our values as Democrats remain the same – lowering costs, restoring freedom, protecting the rights of all people, and saving our democracy from the threat of dictatorship. We have and will continue to make this case to the American people.

In short order, the American people will hear from the Democratic Party on next steps and the path forward for the nomination process.

Updated

A disastrous debate, and quiet Democratic mutiny: how Biden decided to end his re-election campaign

Joe Biden is the first US president not to seek re-election since fellow Democrat Lyndon B Johnson ended his campaign in 1968.

Here’s the Guardian’s Lauren Gambino with a look at the chain of events that led Biden to make his historic decision:

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Top House Democrat Jeffries says 'America is a better place today because' of Biden

The Democratic House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries thanked Joe Biden for his service as Biden exited the presidential race, while making no endorsement for who should succeed him:

President Joe Biden is one of the most accomplished and consequential leaders in American history. In less than one term, he rescued the nation from a once-in-a-century pandemic, brought the economy roaring back from the brink of recession, enacted consequential legislation for everyday Americans and saved our democracy by defeating the Insurrectionist-in-Chief.

America is a better place today because President Joe Biden has led us with intellect, grace and dignity. We are forever grateful.

Updated

Ron Klain, who was Joe Biden’s first White House chief of staff, sounds slightly bitter about his exit from the race, but is nonetheless cheering on Kamala Harris:

Klain is considered among Biden’s inner circle, who Biden no doubt consulted in making his decision to call his re-election quits:

Updated

Some House Democrats, meanwhile, have already begun announcing their endorsements of Kamala Harris.

Here’s Florida’s Jared Moskowitz:

And Washington’s Pramila Jayapal, who also chairs the Congressional Progressive caucus:

At a time when Donald Trump and his Republican Party have stripped away women’s reproductive freedoms, we will respond by finally electing the first woman to the presidency. And as the first South Asian woman elected to the House of Representatives, I look forward to seeing Kamala Harris become the first South Asian American and first Black woman to serve as the President of the United States of America. Democrats must immediately unite so we can focus on winning in November. I look forward to casting my vote for Kamala Harris for President and doing everything I can to ensure she becomes our next President.

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Republican House speaker Johnson calls on Biden to resign, says Democrats' 'prospects are no better' with Harris

The Republican speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, has joined those calling on Joe Biden to resign, while saying Kamala Harris will not perform any better as a candidate.

“The party’s prospects are no better now with Vice President Kamala Harris, who co-owns the disastrous policy failures of the Biden Administration. As second in command and a completely inept border czar, Harris has been a gleeful accomplice — not only in the destruction of American sovereignty, security, and prosperity, but also in the largest political coverup in U.S. history. She has known for as long as anyone of his incapacity to serve,” Johnson said in a statement.

“If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President. He must resign the office immediately. November 5 cannot arrive soon enough.”

He also characterized the Democratic party as undemocratic, alleging that, by dropping out, Biden “invalidated the votes of more than 14 million Americans who selected Joe Biden to be the Democrat nominee for president”. Expect to hear that argument repeatedly in the months to come from Republicans who are looking to counterattack Democratic attacks that Donald Trump is not fit to serve for his attempt to overturn the 2020 election.

“Having invalidated the votes of more than 14 million Americans who selected Joe Biden to be the Democrat nominee for president, the self-proclaimed ‘party of democracy’ has proven exactly the opposite,” Johnson wrote.

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Trump says Biden 'was not fit to run for president, and is certainly not fit to serve'

Donald Trump had this to say about Joe Biden’s decision to exit the race, as posted on Truth Social:

Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve - And never was! He only attained the position of President by lies, Fake News, and not leaving his Basement. All those around him, including his Doctor and the Media, knew that he wasn’t capable of being President, and he wasn’t - And now, look what he’s done to our Country, with millions of people coming across our Border, totally unchecked and unvetted, many from prisons, mental institutions, and record numbers of terrorists. We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has done very quickly. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

Trump tells CNN he thinks Harris will be easier to beat

CNN got on the phone with Donald Trump not long after Joe Biden bowed out of the presidential race, who told the network he thinks Kamala Harris will be easier to beat:

Republican lawmakers call on Biden to resign after he ends re-election campaign

Leading Republicans in the House of Representatives have called on Joe Biden to resign the presidency immediately, following his decision to end his bid for re-election.

Here’s House Republican conference chair Elise Stefanik:

If Joe Biden can’t run for re-election, he is unable and unfit to serve as President of the United States. He must immediately resign.

The Democrat Party is in absolute free fall for their blatantly corrupt and desperate attempt to cover up the fact that Joe Biden is unfit for office.

Every elected Democrat in America owns Joe Biden’s failed and feckless record causing the border crisis, Bidenflation, and chaos and weakness around the world.

President Trump will win this November to save America.

And Kevin Hern, chair of the Republican Study Committee, which is influential in crafting conservative policy in the House:

In his letter announcing the end of his re-election campaign, Biden said he would serve out the rest of his term.

Biden endorses Kamala Harris as successor

Joe Biden has announced that he is endorsing vice-president Kamala Harris as his successor for the Democratic presidential nomination:

Senate Democratic leader Schumer says Biden 'put his country, his party, and our future first'

The Senate’s Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, who was reported to have recently expressed concerns to Joe Biden about his ability to win re-election, has this to say about the president’s decision to end his campaign:

Joe Biden has not only been a great president and a great legislative leader but he is a truly amazing human being. His decision of course was not easy, but he once again put his country, his party, and our future first.

Joe, today shows you are a true patriot and great American.

Naomi Biden described her grandfather as “the most effective president of our lifetime”, after he announced his decision to withdraw from the presidential race:

Reacting to her husband’s decision to end his bid for re-election, first lady Jill Biden simply tweeted out a “heart” emoji:

She was undoubtedly involved in Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw.

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Biden does not endorse successor as he announces pullout from presidential race

In his letter announcing that he would end his bid to her a second term, Joe Biden thanked Kamala Harris, but did not endorse the vice-president or any other Democrat as his replacement.

The president called Harris “an extraordinary partner in all this work”, and noted he would address the nation “later this week in more detail about my decision”.

Here is Biden’s full statement:

Updated

President Biden has just announced that he will no longer seek re-election.

“I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” he said Sunday afternoon in a post on Twitter/X.

Biden’s announcement comes as a mounting chorus of Democrats have called for him to step aside following a disastrous debate against Republican rival Donald Trump.

The Guardian will provide breaking updates here as we learn more about Biden’s decision.

Updated

Joe Biden withdraws from 2024 presidential race

Joe Biden will not stay in the 2024 presidential race as the Democratic candidate, he announced on Sunday.

The announcement comes several weeks after the US president’s disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump, which turned whispers about his age and fitness into a roar.

This is breaking news, and we’ll cover all the latest updates here.

Updated

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