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The Democratic Party will field another candidate for the upcoming 2024 US presidential election after President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he would end his re-election campaign and that he plans to hold a press conference later this week to formally explain his decision.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president,” Biden said in his statement. “And while it was my intention to be re-elected, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country to step down and focus solely on fulfilling the duties of my president for the remainder of my term.”
The news caps what has been a tough year for the president. While there were doubts about Biden’s chances against Donald Trump, who formally became the Republican nominee last week, Biden was widely criticized for his performance and appearance during the televised debate between the two in June, and moderators at times struggled to maintain order as Biden and Trump had a falling out on the stage.
Biden said at the time that he was ill the night the debate took place. Since then, several news outlets and party leaders have have called for Biden’s resignation so he can concentrate on end his term and to have another candidate take on Trump.
Shortly after his announcement on Sunday, Biden said posted another tweet He supported Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s candidate.
Biden’s decision not to seek a second term puts him in rare company. The most recent U.S. president to turn down the opportunity to run for a second term was Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968. Other sitting presidents who did not seek re-election include James K. Polk, James Buchanan, Rutherford B. Hayes, Calvin Coolidge and Harry S. Truman, who declined to run for re-election.
Immediately following Biden’s announcement, reactions online were mixed. Some were sad about his decision, while others looked forward.
It’s Joever
Since this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, social media wasted no time in jumping in and talking about it. It’s somewhat fitting that Sunday’s announcement came on National Ice Cream Day, since Biden is a big fan of ice cream.
One X user pointed out that it could be the “most historic National Ice Cream Day,” ridiculing Biden’s love for the summer treat.
And the sentence “it’s Joever” X quickly took over after the news broke.
Jill Biden’s emoji
First Lady Dr. Jill Biden retweeted Joe with a double heart emoji in response to her husband’s announcement. It was immediately retweeted multiple times, with one X user comparing the emoji reaction to “me texting when I don’t know what else to say.”
Another user said They “would have done anything to be at the meeting where they brainstormed what emoji response” and said Jill should have released a statement herself.
“I say it’s just Kamencing”
“You say it’s Joever; I say it’s just Kamencing,” an X user said in response to Biden’s endorsement of Kamala Harris. Sounds good, right?
Some users are convinced that Harris is a sure thing as a winner, with some are already proclaiming it the 47th President of the United States, while others are speculating on who, if she wins the nomination, she would select as a vice presidential running mate to balance her ticket. Some hope that the U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg will be her vice president.
Harris tweeted from her personal account on X (formerly Twitter) thanks Biden for his service and support, and we expect to hear more from her after the weekend. X users believe that she is ready for the challenge and probably pretty happy about it. Others take positions and policies from her previous campaigns against Trump in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election.
Still, users couldn’t resist making a little fun of the VP for what will likely be her choice of running mate.
Laugh because it’s “Jappened”
Other users wasted no time in ramping up Biden’s legacy… or at least dropping as many puns as possible. user joked“don’t cry because it’s Joever. Laugh because it’s Jappened,” and another said“damn it, not TWO Joever summers in a row,” referring to Taylor Swift’s high-profile split from Joe Alwyn last summer.
Other users are al Bidone with the minute long trend, with someone who posts a GIF from the Buzz Lightyear path from Toy Story, referring to all the people posting Joever memes.
Others still took the chance to reference layoff culture in the wake of thousands of people being laid off in recent years due to the addition of a LinkedIn style “Open to work” banner on Biden’s profile picture and posting messages like, “Hi! My friend is leaving his job, so if anyone is looking for a real rockstar to add to your team, I can pass along his resume.”
Former President Barack Obama, in turn, said in a rack that he has “extreme confidence that the leaders of our party can initiate a process from which an excellent candidate will emerge.”
Along with Kamala Harris is also “Michelle Obama” trending on X amid calls for the former First Lady to to run for president.
Read more: President Biden ends re-election campaign — looking back at his legacy on tech and debt restructuring
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