Joe Biden shocked the world on Sunday when he abruptly announced that he would be dropping out of the 2024 presidential race. Though he initially did not endorse anyone, he quickly issued a follow-up statement in which he officially endorsed his Vice President Kamala Harris, saying that he wants her to take his place.
Harris was quick to respond, taking a victory lap after receiving this endorsement. She issued a brief statement saying that she plans to “earn and win” the Democratic Party’s nomination.
Needless to say, this made for a shocking day for Americans everywhere. Within just a few hours of Biden endorsing Harris, however, her campaign made an announcement that is raising some eyebrows across the country.
From The Hill:
Vice President Harris raised nearly $50 million in grassroots donations Sunday in the hours after President Biden stepped aside as the nominee and backed her to replace him.“Since the President endorsed Vice President Harris yesterday afternoon, everyday Americans have given $49.6 million in grassroots donations to her campaign,” said Lauren Hitt, a spokesperson for the Harris campaign, in a statement.
The impressive haul is a sign of the grassroots enthusiasm among Democrats in the immediate aftermath of Biden’s decision not to seek reelection, and it reflects Harris’s strength as the likeliest choice to replace the president atop the ticket.
Huh?!
At this time yesterday, Biden was still very much in the 2024 presidential race. He’d given no indication to the world that he was planning to drop out and endorse Harris. That means that the average Democrat could never have anticipated that by the end of the day on Sunday, Harris would be seen as the top contender to be the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee.
Yet despite this, Harris was still able to raise nearly $50 million in just a few hours? We would never push conspiracy theories. However, the fact that a grassroots campaign was immediately successful in a situation like this one does seem a tad suspicious.
Harris Campaign Doubles Down
One would think that most Democrat donors would be a bit more reticent about donating so quickly when their presumptive nominee Biden, who had the overwhelming support of his party, drops out so suddenly. In trying to explain how this happened, the Harris campaign only made things seem even more bizarre.
More from The Hill:
A person familiar with the matter said Harris spent Sunday working the phones, making calls to more than 100 party leaders, members of Congress, governors, labor leaders and civil rights groups. Harris made clear on those calls that she appreciated Biden’s endorsement, but that she planned to work to earn the Democratic nomination herself.
So we’re supposed to believe that Harris was able to raise all this money herself in just a few hours because she is just that charismatic and talented?
Yeah, right.
There had indeed been speculation for weeks that Biden would drop out of this race. However, his announcement yesterday was still unprecedented. It’s something that the average Democrat donor should not have been prepared for.
There’s no telling what could be going here. It’s certainly important to always be skeptical of conspiracy theories. However, it would not be surprising to learn that there is more than meets the eye happening behind the scenes.
UPDATE: Hours later, reports are coming in that Democrats have raised over $100 million in the first 24 hours.
Key Takeaways:
- Biden endorses Kamala Harris after dropping out of presidential race.
- Harris claims to have raised $49.6 million within hours.
- Surprising Democrats would donate so quickly after Biden abruptly dropped out.
Source: The Hill
