Harvard for Biden, Unburdened by What Has Been, Rebrands as Harvard for Harris

Harvard for Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris and swiftly rebranded itself to Harvard for Harris after President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race on Sunday.

Will M. Smialek ’27 and Ethan C. Kelly ’25 launched the campus group in February to increase voter turnout on campus in support of Biden’s reelection — plans that were suddenly upended when Biden ended the campaign after his disastrous debate performance in June prompted dozens of Democratic donors and lawmakers to call for him to drop out.

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” Biden wrote in a letter posted on X. “And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”

Minutes later, he endorsed Harris to succeed him as the Democratic nominee.

Harvard for Biden followed suit and endorsed Harris in a post on Instagram, even though she has not officially been selected as the party’s 2024 presidential nominee and it is still possible another candidate could challenge Harris for the nomination.

“Harvard for Harris stands with the countless campaign advocates who thank President Biden for his service and dedication,” the group wrote. “It’s time to build on that foundation with Vice President Kamala Harris, his chosen successor.”

The group’s leadership wrote in a statement to The Crimson that Harris “has proven her leadership.”

“She has been tested on the national level, and alongside President Biden, has done more to defend democracy, elevate working families, and secure the rights of all Americans than any administration in recent memory,” Harvard for Harris’ leadership added.

Harvard for Biden’s re-branding on social media was accompanied by a call for new members to join the group’s efforts.

Having previously supported Biden’s winning campaign in 2020, Kelly said he hoped they could replicate past success.

“This is a turning point for the country and I can’t wait to be part of it. I trust President Biden — and he trusts Vice President Harris,” Kelly wrote in a statement. “I, and we, are with her — every step of the way.”

Smialek wrote that Biden “showed the entire nation what it means to put country over self.”

“I couldn’t be more thrilled by this history-making decision to have the first woman of color atop a major party ticket be none other than Kamala Harris,” he added.

After Biden’s announcement, several members of Harvard’s faculty also voiced support for Biden’s decision to drop out.

Government professor Steven Levitsky said in an interview that he always believed that Biden’s decision to seek reelection “a bad idea.”

“It was a risky bet that panned out the way that one could anticipate it might pan out given Biden’s age and his clear state of decline even since 2020,” Levitsky said.

Biden initially attempted to silence the criticism sparked by his performance at the debate, but a series of public gaffes — including the embarrassing moment during the NATO summit when Biden introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin” — failed to appease allies in Congress who feared Biden would drag down the rest of the Democratic ticket in November.

Still, the party could not unilaterally remove Biden as its nominee and the decision to withdraw was his to make.

“The Democratic Party just did not have any mechanism to challenge the sitting president,” Levitsky said. “It took an emperor’s new clothes moment — the debate — to shock the party into action.”

Former University President Lawrence H. Summers, who served as treasury secretary under Bill Clinton, praised Biden’s withdrawal as a “noble act” in a post on X.

“No president since FDR has passed so much legislation supporting the economic interests of the middle class,” Summers wrote. “I have not agreed with every measure, but the cumulative accomplishment will be studied by historians for decades and perhaps centuries to come.”

—Staff writer Saketh Sundar can be reached at saketh.sundar@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @saketh_sundar.