Voters across the country said they were shocked when President Joe Biden announced he was not seeking reelection, sending the presidential race in an unexpected direction that some voters welcomed and others worried.
Some Biden supporters who spoke to NBC News on Sunday afternoon said they were disappointed by his decision, while others who were planning to vote for him were heartened by the idea that another candidate might be a better challenger to former President Donald Trump.
“This could be an opportunity for big change, or maybe even a scary change,” said Jamie Yu, 27, a nurse from Phoenix.
She planned to vote for Biden in November, but only because she “didn’t want to vote for Donald Trump. I don’t want him to be president.”
Shortly after his announcement at X, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.
Lauren Adelman Tomasulo, a 66-year-old Pilates instructor who planned to vote for Biden for a second time, said she thought Harris was “strong and will get things done” and called on Democrats to unite behind her and focus on defeating Trump.
“I think they need to come together, make a decision quickly and move forward,” Adelman Tomasulo said.
But Harris was not everyone’s favorite choice.
In Butler, Pennsylvania, not far from where Trump survived an assassination attempt during a campaign rally on July 13, Angela Bost said she thought Harris might not garner votes because she’s a woman. “I think a lot of men just can’t stomach that.”
Even among those who said they would vote for her, some questioned her views and record.
Casey Brett, a Democrat from Grand Rapids, Michigan, called Harris “clearly the safe choice.”
“Personally, I don’t know if that’s the best choice for the Democratic Party,” she added, “but at the same time, if the Democratic Party feels that she’s the best fit, they’ll hire her.”
For Brett, a change in the top of the candidate list won’t change his vote.
“I’m a Democrat, so I want someone from the Democratic Party to be president,” she said, noting that the biggest issue on her ballot is women’s rights, specifically abortion.
“I will not tolerate anything that threatens that,” she added.
Some voters had other preferred candidates, including former first lady Michelle Obama. Ron Brooker, 77, of Phoenix, who planned to vote for Biden, chose Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) as his choice.
Brooker said that whoever the new nominee is, “they’re going to have to go after the fact that he’s a convicted felon” when it comes to attacks on Trump.
For some Trump supporters, Biden’s withdrawal only strengthened their resolve.
Tyler Kunkowski, an 18-year-old Republican from Florida who was in Washington, D.C., for “America in One Room: Youth Vote,” a gathering of first-time voters discussing policy issues, said he was “happy” to hear the Biden news because “this means Trump wins.”
“Many Democrats don’t support Kamala Harris, and the other candidates don’t have enough time to put together a strong campaign before the election, so I don’t think any of the other candidates had a chance to beat Trump,” he said.
Casey Busick, 34, of Atlanta, who had already decided to support Trump, said Biden’s announcement didn’t change anything for her. “I just think he’s a good businessman,” Ms. Busick said.
Many voters were surprised by Biden’s decision but also said they understood the growing concerns about his age and competency, especially after his struggling debate with Trump last month.
“I have some sympathy for him because of all the work he’s put in and I think he felt a lot of pressure to say, ‘No more, I’m done,'” Adelman Tomasulo said.
Some voters said they felt uncertain in the face of a volatile political situation.
“The scariest thing is that we don’t know. [what’s] “I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know what’s going to happen,” said Carrie Robb of Butler, Pennsylvania, who declined to say which candidate she would support. “It just goes to show that people’s votes don’t actually matter. It doesn’t matter if you vote Democrat or Republican. Our votes don’t matter anymore.”
Meanwhile, Stephen Dilts, an independent voter from Alaska who was in Washington for the America in One Room rally, said he sees this as an opportunity for independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“I think this is Kennedy’s opportunity,” Dilts said of Biden’s withdrawal from the race. “I think Biden has a lot of voters who agree with Kennedy, maybe more so than Kamala.”
