(CP) President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he would not seek reelection just weeks ahead of the Democratic National Convention. He became the first president to make such a decision while in office since Lyndon Baines Johnson in 1968.
In a statement posted to his X account on Sunday, Biden said he had "decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term."
Biden went on to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination, claiming that his selecting her to be his running mate in 2020 was "the best decision I've made."
Biden's announcement has garnered a wide range of reactions from political and religious leaders from diverse ideological backgrounds, ranging from those focused on his legacy to those looking forward.
Here are five reactions from Christian leaders and activists to the news that Biden will not seek reelection several months after states held their primaries:
Michael Wear, an evangelical activist and author who formerly worked in the Obama administration, took to his X account to respond to Biden's announcement.
"I encourage people to actually get clear on what you think, what you believe, right now. You don't need to broadcast it," Wear advised hours after the announcement was made.
"But don't let the same people who told you in February that it was foolish to question Biden, and then told you in July that it was foolish to not want Biden to step down, now tell you that it's foolish if you have some questions about the next thing they're planning to do."
Wear concluded by saying that "[w]hat should be clear right now is that no one knows what to do in this moment."
Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and host of "The Briefing" podcast, addressed the announcement of Biden in an episode of his podcast.
"Well, you're going to remember yesterday. It's going to be one of those days etched into the American historical memory, particularly as related to presidential elections," Mohler said.
"The announcement that came yesterday was a bolt out of the blue, and the indications of that are that members of the administration itself had been at least engaging the press as late as Sunday morning insisting that the president was not going to withdraw from the race."
Mohler believed that "Joe Biden hitched his wagon to a very liberal trend, a liberal ideology" and that "if indeed Kamala Harris is the next nominee, you're talking about a vast leap to the left in terms of political ideology."
The Rev. William J. Barber II, a progressive activist and leader of the Poor People's Campaign, took to social media to express support for Vice President Kamala Harris following the announcement.
"When a President steps down, the VP steps up. If Dems can focus on agenda to address poverty, low wages, access to healthcare, women's & voting rights, VP Harris can unite & energize a broad electorate," he tweeted.
Barber later added that millions of Americans "voted for Biden/Harris as one ticket—in 2020 & again in the primary."
"A Vice President exists to step in when a President steps down. Dems need to follow the succession plan that's in place or never complain again that their opponents undermine democracy," he said.
Former Arkansas governor and former Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee expressed his opinion on the Biden announcement via his X account.
"Biden bails out saying he's not able to be a candidate," tweeted Huckabee. "But he thinks he's able to still be President? I truly believe being President is harder than being candidate. Unless he really HASN'T been functioning as President anyway, which isn't the least bit comforting."
Huckabee went on to label Biden the "Executive Chef" while Harris was "his pastry chef," believing that "[g]etting him out of kitchen is fine but the food on the menu still makes you sick."
David French, an Evangelical writer and columnist with the New York Times who has been a longtime critic of former President Donald Trump and his supporters, took to Threads to give his opinion on the announcement.
"This is selfless leadership. We've seen leaders put themselves over the country for too long. Trump is doing that right now. Now it's time to find the candidate who can end Trump's political career," he stated.
French also stated that he believed if Vice President Kamala Harris becomes the nominee "one of her first tasks will be dismantling the lies told at the Republican National Convention, including the lie that Trump was better for law and order."
He also posted a statement from former governor and former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, which commended Biden for his public service and wished him well.
