--- title: "Biden drops out of 2024 election, remains commander-in-chief" description: "President Joe Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the 2024 race, but said he intends to carry out the remainder of his term." date: "2024-07-21" modified: "2024-07-21" authors: - name: "Nicholas Slayton" job_title: "Contributing Editor" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/nicholas-slayton/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/biden-drops-out-commander-in-chief/" categories: - "News" tags: - "the white house" --- # Biden drops out of 2024 election, remains commander-in-chief ![President Joe Biden attends a 9/11 memorial at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Sept. 11, 2023. (photo courtesy the White House)]() *President Joe Biden attends a 9/11 memorial at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Sept. 11, 2023. (photo courtesy the White House)* President Joe Biden announced that he is ending his reelection campaign. The president, who has faced pressure to drop out of the race for the last month, shared the news via a statement on social media. He has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the election. Biden is staying in office and his decision to end his reelection campaign will not affect anyone currently serving in the military, whether at a base in the United States or deployed abroad. The decision is a major one that reshapes the 2024 election, but for the U.S. military, there are no changes. Biden said that he intends to “focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president,” and as such, he remains the commander-in-chief of the armed forces until the end of his term. There have been no shake ups or changes to the national security staff, Department of Defense or military leadership as a result of Biden’s announcement. [https://x.com/JoeBiden/status/1815080881981190320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw]() In a statement, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin praised Biden for his "leadership and statesmanship." "President Biden has repeatedly declared, 'We will lead not merely by the example of our power but by the power of our example,'" Austin wrote. "Today, he has done just that." The last incumbent president who was eligible for a second term but declined to run was Lyndon B. Johnson. He could have ran in the 1968 election but said in March of that year he would not seek the nomination. After a contentious primary, Democrats lost that election to Richard Nixon. Johnson’s last year in office saw continued combat in Vietnam. [**Subscribe to Task & Purpose Today**]()**. Get the latest military news and culture in your inbox daily.** Other presidents have also guided and ordered the military into action during the “lame duck” period at the end of their terms. For instance, President Barack Obama’s last months in office in 2016 saw continued U.S. military airstrikes against ISIS strongholds and forces in Iraq and Syria. ***Update: 7/21/2024:*** This story has been updated with Secretary of Defense Austin's comments. ## The latest on Task & Purpose - **Here are the ships the U.S. plans to** [**sink in the Pacific**]() **this summer** - [**USS John Basilone**]()**, warship named for legendary Marine, delivered to the Navy** - **Army graduates first class of** [**recruiting warrant officers**]() - [**Navy fires captain**]() **of ship that ran aground in Africa** - **Do I have to go to my** [**IRR muster duty event**]()**?** ## Author Nicholas Slayton is a contributing editor for Task & Purpose, covering conflict for over 12 years, from the Arab Spring to the war in Ukraine. His previous reporting can be found on the non-profit Aslan Media, The Atlantic, Al Jazeera, The New Republic, The American Prospect, Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, and the Los Angeles Downtown News. You can reach him at nicholas@taskandpurpose.com or find him on Twitter @NSlayton and Bluesky at @nslayton.bsky.social. ### Author social links [Twitter]()