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
The last incumbent president 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.