TEXAS, USA — As news hit that President Biden ended his reelection bid Sunday, politicians from across the political spectrum reacted online.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott posted to X theorizing that the widely panned first debate between Trump and Biden was set up to force Biden out of the race.
"Today’s announcement may not have happened without that disastrous debate," Abbott wrote.
The governor also used social media to criticize Biden's endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris. Wrote Abbott: "I will need to triple the border wall, razor wire barriers and National Guard on the border."
Texas Senator Ted Cruz was more cryptic in his message about the news on X, posting a photo of Richard Nixon, who resigned from the presidency amid the Watergate Scandal -- with no accompanying text. It should be noted: Biden did not resign from the presidency, despite dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.
Senator John Cornyn criticized Harris' record on healthcare and the border, saying on X that "under her "leadership” criminals and terrorists stream across our wide-open border & fentanyl continues to kill thousands of innocent Americans. Cornyn also called on Biden to step down from the presidency.
Colin Allred, the Democratic nominee for Texas Senate running against Ted Cruz, thanked Biden for "his willingness to put country before self."
Notable Texas Democrats also reacted to the news on X Sunday. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Dallas), who did not join the chorus of Democrats calling on Biden to resign, said she hopes the people who "pushed the most consequential President of our lifetime out" have a plan.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin), the first Democratic Congressman to call for Biden to drop out of the race, reacted to the news in a thread calling Biden's decision "courageous." He also called for a "fair and open democratic process" to determine the Democratic nominee that will best be able to beat Trump, according to a statement released by his campaign.
"While, with President Biden’s endorsement, Vice President Harris is clearly the leading candidate, we should be open to all talented individuals who wish to be considered," the statement reads.
Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) said the move "confirms what Republicans have known for a long time: the Biden-Harris Administration is unfit for four more years in the White House." Phelan then called on Republicans to unite as a party to put conservative leaders in office.
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX 20th District) said Biden's announcement was a "fulfillment of his promise to be a bridge to our future," and went on to endorse VP Kamala Harris in a post on X.
Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Fort Worth) thanked Biden on X for "once again putting our great nation above all else."
Texas Rep. Ron Reynolds, the first elected official to call on Biden to drop out of the race, applauded Biden's "statesmanship and his profound love and dedication to America."
He also called on the Democratic party to unite behind Harris.
Democratic Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said on X that Biden's announcement was "another example of how (Joe Biden) always puts his country first."
Republican Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare said on X that Biden's decision disenfranchised millions of voters and criticized Harris' record securing the border.
National figures also reacted to Biden's announcement, including the newly nominated Vice Presidential candidate on Trump's ticket, JD Vance. Vance questioned Biden's decision to remain serving as president after dropping out of the race for reelection.
"Not running for reelection would be a clear admission that President Trump was right all along about Biden not being mentally fit enough to serve as Commander-in-Chief," his post on X reads.