close
close

Chuck Schumer calls Joe Biden ‘patriot’ for withdrawing – NBC New York

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer praised President Joe Biden after he announced he would not seek a second term.

“Joe Biden is not only a great president and a great legislative leader, but he is also a truly great human being. His decision was not easy, of course, but he once again put his country, his party, and our future first,” Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement.

“Joe, today shows that you are a true patriot and a great American,” Schumer said.

Biden said in a statement on Sunday that he was withdrawing from the presidential race.

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” he wrote. “And while it was my intention to be re-elected, I believe it is in the best interests of my party and the country to step down and focus solely on fulfilling the duties of my President for the remainder of my term.”

Biden said he will speak to the nation “in more detail about my decision” later this week.

Days before Biden’s announcement, Schumer reportedly had “candid” conversations with the president about the state of the presidential election, according to sources familiar with their conversation.

According to the sources, Schumer presented the president with polling data that reflected the current state of the race and what impact that state could have on the party going forward.