President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign did not receive official word that he was pulling out until nearly 20 minutes after the ad was posted on social media. When they finally received an email, it directed them to Biden’s post on X.
“Team, I’m sharing with you the letter from President Biden that was released just now. We’ll have more information later this afternoon,” Biden campaign managers Jen O’Malley Dillon and Julie Chavez Rodriguez wrote in an email to all staff, time-stamped at 2:03 p.m. ET. “Please stay tuned for an invitation to an all-staff call. We are so grateful to be part of this team with all of you. More information coming soon.”
The email contained a link to a letter Biden had posted on X more than 15 minutes earlier, at 1:46 p.m. ET, announcing that he would no longer seek reelection.
Political reported that campaign advisers were whipping delegates at the very moment the letter was sent. The New York Times reported that top advisers like Anita Dunn, who manages Biden’s communications strategy, learned Biden was dropping out of the race a minute before the world did.
The future of Biden’s campaign apparatus is unclear at press time; CNN reported that discussions were already underway to bring in aides who worked for former President Barack Obama to support a campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris, who has vowed to “win and win” the Democratic Party nomination.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
