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As US President Joe Biden has announced his withdrawal from the American presidential election, Taoiseach Simon Harris has praised him highly, expressing gratitude “on behalf of the people and government of Ireland” for Biden’s “global leadership”.
“On behalf of the people and government of Ireland, I, as Taoiseach, would like to thank you Mr. President for your global leadership and your friendship…” Harris said in a statement.
“The world has changed since President Biden’s victory in 2020, and we have had to face extraordinary challenges, from a global pandemic, to the return of war to the continent of Europe with the horrific full scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, which has deliberately targeted and killed innocent civilians,” he said.
Harris said that “President Biden has been a voice for reason”, and “an unwavering voice and passionate worker for peace on the island of Ireland,” adding that “our country owes him a great debt for this.”
“On a personal level, President Biden is a proud American with an Irish soul,” he said.
The Taoiseach added that when Biden visited Ireland last year, there was an “outpouring of love and support” from the Irish public, which he said was “testament to how highly the President is held in his ancestral home.”
He recounted how Biden has said that “everyone is worthy of dignity and respect”, adding: “Anyone who knows or has watched Joe Biden knows that these are more than words to him, but the way he has always conducted himself in public and private life.
“…I wish you, Mrs. Biden and your family every success and I look forward to working with you for the remainder of your Presidency.”
In recent weeks, gaffe-prone Biden, 81, has been met with mounting pressure from both within his party and externally to withdraw from the presidential race. This surge of criticism followed a disastrous debate performance against his Republican rival, Donald Trump, in June, during which observers noted Biden’s evident signs of cognitive decline, raising concerns in Democratic circles that he would be unable to defeat an increasingly popular Trump.
Despite calls from numerous prominent Democrats and the withdrawal of financial support from major donors, Biden had steadfastly refused to step aside until now. In early June, he declared that only “the Lord Almighty” could persuade him to exit the race.
However, he has now endorsed his Vice President, Kamala Harris, as his preferred successor to challenge Trump, and will not be on the ballot when Americans go to the polls in November..
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