World leaders react to Biden’s exit from the 2024 US presidential race

Messages of gratitude and support for US President Joe Biden poured in following his stunning announcement Sunday that he is exiting the 2024 presidential race and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the next Democratic nominee.

It was the second seismic moment in US politics in just over a week, following the assassination attempt against former president Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally on July 13, which saw global leaders rally around him as the Republican nominee.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who met with Biden this month in Washington, said he respects the president’s decision and looks forward to working together for the remainder of his term.

“I know that, as he has done throughout his remarkable career, he will have made his decision based on what he believes is best for the American people,” Starmer wrote on X.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau thanked Biden for being a “true friend” to his country. “He’s a great man, and everything he does is guided by his love for his country,” he said on X.

In a news conference, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Biden deserves to be recognized for “once again not putting himself forward first, but giving his first consideration to being what he believes is in the interests of the United States of America, as he has done his whole public life.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Biden for his “unwavering support” in his country’s war against Russia, which the US has backed with weapons, military aid and diplomatic support, despite backlash from Republicans.

“Many strong decisions have been made in recent years and they will be remembered as bold steps taken by President Biden in response to challenging times,” Zelensky said on X. “We will always be thankful for President Biden’s leadership.”

In Israel, President Isaac Herzog described Biden as a “true ally of the Jewish people,” while Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the US president’s “steadfast backing, especially during the war, has been invaluable,” both in posts to X.

Biden has been one of the biggest supporters of Israel’s war in Gaza since Hamas’ October 7 attacks. But he has increasingly clashed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over humanitarian aid and the mounting civilian death toll of the conflict.

There was no immediate word Sunday from Netanyahu, who is expected to visit Washington this week.

Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris called Biden “a proud American with an Irish soul,” and thanked him for his “global leadership” and “friendship.”

Other leaders commended Biden for making what must have been a tough decision to drop out of the race.

Speaking at a rally Sunday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Biden made the “correct” decision and put his family and health first. He wished him “health and a long life.”

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X that Biden had made difficult decisions “thanks to which Poland, America and the world are safer, and democracy stronger.”

“I know you were driven by the same motivations when announcing your final decision. Probably the most difficult one,” Tusk said.

There was no official word from Chinese leader Xi Jinping as of Monday morning local time.

But “Biden dropping out of the election” was the top trending topic early Monday on Weibo, China’s X-like social platform, with five more related topics including discussions of Kamala Harris and Trump’s assassination attempt together accumulating more than 400 million views.

Some Chinese social media users excitedly speculated about the prospect of a woman becoming US president, while others said they believe Trump will win no matter the Democratic candidate.

“The shot was definitely a good deal for Trump!” one Weibo user wrote.

One user remarked, “that one shot didn’t kill Trump but dropped Biden,” while another described the political situation in the US as “a total mess.”