Alex Thompson: Why Did Biden Drop Out?

Just Asking Questions

The past month has been one of the most tumultuous in modern American political history: a devastating face-plant in a televised presidential debate, an attempted assassination of an ex-president favored in the polls to win reelection, a COVID-19 infection of the sitting president and his subsequent exit from the race, and an endorsement and loads of money pouring into the campaign of a previously unpopular vice president.

What was going on behind the scenes that led us to this moment? This week on Just Asking Questions, Liz Wolfe and Zach Weissmueller are joined by Alex Thompson, who writes about Joe Biden's White House for Axios. He's had a number of scoops about the internal goings-on in the Biden White House despite the fact that, according to previous guest Dave Weigel, Thompson has been pushed away for his previous reporting on Biden's declining health.

They discuss the internal politics behind Biden's decision to drop out, the prospects for Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement in the 2024 presidential race, the media's insistence that Harris was not the president's "border czar," and the reluctance of former President Barack Obama to endorse Harris. Liz and Zach also react to Biden's exit speech, Harris' recent rally, and musician Charli XCX endorsing Harris as "brat."

Sources referenced in this conversation:

1. Biden drops out on X
2. Axios: "Scoop: Biden doubted Harris' election chances"
3. Axios: "Scoop: Biden changes walking routine to Marine One"
4. Axios: "Harris border confusion haunts her new campaign"
5. Charli XCX on X: "kamala IS brat"
6. 18–34s Harris vs. Trump, CNN (July 22–23): "CNN Poll: Harris improves on Biden's performance against Trump in early look at new matchup"
7. 18–34s Quinnipiac (July 19–21)

• Producer: John Osterhoudt

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