President Joe Biden re-election campaign staff did not receive formal notification that he was dropping out until nearly 20 minutes after the announcement was posted on social media. When they finally received the email, it directed them to Biden posted on X.
“Team, I would like to share with you the letter from President Biden that was just released. We will have more information this afternoon,” Biden campaign managers Jen O’Malley Dillon and Julie Chavez Rodriguez wrote in an all-staff email timestamped 2:03 p.m. ET. “Please look out for the invitation to the all-staff call. We are so grateful to be a part of this team with all of you. More information will be coming soon.”
The email linked to a letter Biden had posted on X more than 15 minutes earlier, at 1:46 p.m. ET, announcing that he would not run for re-election.
Politics reported that campaign aides were whipping delegates at the time the letter was sent. The New York Times reported that senior aides like Anita Dunn, who handled Biden’s communications strategy, knew Biden was dropping out of the race a minute before the world did.
The future of Biden’s campaign apparatus was unclear at the time of the announcement; CNN reported that discussions were underway to bring in aides who worked for former President Barack Obama to help campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris, who has vowed to “earn and win” the Democratic nomination.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
