By Sarah Ewall-Wice, Senior U.S. Political Reporter

Kamala Harris’ campaign announced it raised $81 million in its first 24 hours after President Biden dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed the vice president.

The flood of donations is the largest 24-hour cash haul of any presidential campaign in U.S. history. It includes money raised by the campaign, Democratic National Committee and joint-fundraising committee.

More than 888,000 donors contributed in the past 24 hours including 60 percent who were first-time donors in the 2024 cycle, according to the campaign. The campaign also added 43,00 new recurring donors.

It comes as an avalanche of prominent Democrats have backed Harris for the nomination.

Some state Democratic parties also said they had seen an uptick in donations after President Biden stepped aside.

By Nikki Schwab, Chief Campaign Correspondent in Washington, D.C.

Vice Presidential candidate J.D. Vance said in an interview Monday that he heard that a gunman tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump while he was playing mini-golf with his kids.

In an interview taped Saturday and aired on Jesse Watters Primetime Monday night, Trump’s running mate said he was playing putt-putt and hoping Trump would ‘call me and offer me the VP slot.’

‘I told my kids, “We’ve got to get out of here; the president has been shot,’” Vance recalled.

His son then asked: ‘Daddy, is it the president who is your friend or the president you don’t like?’

‘I said, “It’s the president who is my friend,”‘ Vance said, with his son saying that he was ‘sorry’ about that.

‘It was a very sweet moment, and we were all just so grateful that the president was OK,’ the Ohio senator added.

Vance got the call last Monday that he would be Trump’s running mate, with the Republican nominee waiting until the first day of the Republican National Convention to seal the deal.

Shortly thereafter, Republican delegates made Vance the vice presidential nominee on the Milwaukee convention floor.

Vance and Trump gave their first joint interview to Watters, a day before President Joe Biden dramatically dropped out of the 2024 race.

Much of the interview recounted the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.

By Nikki Schwab, Chief Campaign Correspondent in Washington, D.C.

President Joe Biden will officially return from Rehoboth Beach tomorrow the White House said Monday night.

The president’s daily guidance has the president departing Delaware at 12:30 p.m. ET and returning to the South Lawn Tuesday afternoon.

Biden has been recovering from COVID-19 at his vacation home after testing positive Wednesday while on the campaign trail in Las Vegas.

He hasn’t been seen publicly in five days though called his Wilmington campaign headquarters during Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit there Monday afternoon as she officially took over the presidential campaign.

Biden sent shockwaves through the political world Sunday by announcing he would no longer seek reelection, endorsing his VP for the Democratic nomination.

He’s expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week in Washington as well.

Running a new candidate less than 100 days before the election may be ‘less than ideal’ for Democrats, but they seem optimistic that replacing 81-year-old Joe Biden with Vice President Kamala Harris will fire up their base.

Harris is the frontrunner for the nomination after Biden’s momentous withdrawal, having lined up endorsements from the president himself and most big-name Democrats.

But worries remain about whether the VP – who is still trailing behind Trump in recent polls – is up for the uphill sprint Biden left her with as he resisted calls to step aside for weeks.

‘I can’t go backwards. Obviously, it’s less than ideal. But we are where we are,’ Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., told DailyMail.com about Harris’ 100-day timeline.

By Nikki Schwab, Chief Campaign Correspondent in Washington, D.C.

Former President Donald Trump said in a Fox News sit-down alongside his VP pick, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, that he believed Congress should investigate those who hid President Joe Biden’s ‘condition.’

Trump and Vance sat down with Fox’s Jesse Watters Saturday before Biden made the dramatic decision to exit the presidential race. The interview aired Monday night.

While sources close to the Biden family have pushed back on the narrative Biden’s bowing out had to do with health concerns, the 81-year-old president hasn’t been seen publicly in five days as he recovers in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware from COVID-19.

He called into his Wilmington, Delaware campaign headquarters Monday afternoon while Vice President Kamala Harris was there and officially taking over the campaign operation.

‘Well, I think somebody has to look at it. Look, you had people who lied to the American public and I tell you what, you outta take a look at his doctors because his doctors keep giving him this wonderful report,’ Trump told Watters. ‘I’m not a doctor but I saw him the other day, was unable to get up the children’s stairs going into Air Force One.’

Vice President Kamala Harris will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington this week, but plans to skip his address to Congress.

The White House’s Jewish Liaison Shelley Greenspan confirmed the meeting was happening in a post on X Monday night.

It will be separate from Netanyahu’s planned sit-down with President Joe Biden.

Biden remains at his Rehoboth Beach, Delaware home as he recovers from COVID-19.

The White House has yet to say when he’ll arrive back in Washington, with the president not being seen publicly in five days.

Biden did call in when Harris traveled to Wilmington Monday afternoon to officially take over the campaign operation after the president dramatically pulled the plug on his reelection bid Sunday, endorsing the VP for the Democratic nomination.

Harris was initially skipping Netanyahu’s Congressional address due to a scheduling conflict, as she was set to address the Zeta Phil Beta sorority at an event in Indianapolis on Wednesday.

It’s unclear if her schedule has changed now that she’s officially campaigning for president.

President Joe Biden called into his Delaware campaign headquarters as Vice President Kamala Harris made her first trek there as the party’s likely Democratic nominee.

Biden was put on speakerphone and addressed staff more than 24 hours after he announced on X Sunday that he was bowing out of the race – and that he was endorsing his running mate.

Harris’ trip to Wilmington signified that she was officially taking over the Biden-Harris campaign infrastructure.

From Rob Crilly, Chief U.S. Political Correspondent

Trump’s running mate may have shed weight since entering politics, but J.D. Vance shares his boss’s love of fast food.

During his first campaign swing aboard Trump Force Two, en route from Ohio to a rally in Virginia, he and his staff dined on fried chicken fingers from Raising Cane’s, according to a source.

And earlier in his hometown of Middletown, Vance admitted he was peckish as he talked about Milton’s, a local donut store.

I skipped lunch, so my mind’s on donuts here.

Trump is famous for ordering in McDonald’s when traveling with staff.

Vance’s recent weight loss, which he says is down to taking up running when he was campaigning for the Senate, caught Trump’s eye. And he once told aides: ‘He’s one handsome son of a bitch.’

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., took to X to suggest Biden should be removed from office if he’s determined he doesn’t have the ‘cognitive ability’ to seek reelection.

If Joe Biden does not have the cognitive ability to seek reelection, he does not have the cognitive ability to serve the remainder of his term.

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., similarly piled on, writing a letter Monday asking the Biden-Harris Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment, which has never been used in history.

The 25th Amendment, which outlines presidential succession, gives the vice president and Cabinet power to remove the commander in chief from office via a majority vote in the event it’s determined he or she is no longer fit for office.

Section 4 of the amendment allows for removal of a president who is deemed incapacitated by any kind of illness, injury, or mental impairment.

President Joe Biden’s only action on Monday was to release a statement on the police killing of Illinois black woman Sonya Massey.

It was the first public action from Biden after he announced he was dropping his reelection bid on Sunday and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.

The statement came amidst a slew of online right-wing conspiracies cclaiming Biden is incapacitated or dead after he was diagnosed with COVID-19 last week and pulled from the campaign trail.

The White House statement from Biden Monday afternoon reads:

Sonya’s family deserves justice. I am heartbroken for her children and her entire family as they face this unthinkable and senseless loss.

The Senate Ethics Committee notified Sen. Bob Menendez that he is the subject of a review after he was found guilty of bribery and foreign influence charges.

Menendez was found guilty of over a dozen counts related to bribery, corruption and acting on behalf of foreign countries last week after a monthlong trial that featured testimony highlighting his accepting gold bars and cash in exchange for favors.

Now, the ethics panel has taken a mandatory step needed before it can boot Menendez out.

The committee began ‘an adjudicatory review of his alleged violations of Senate rules,’ adding they aim to wrap it up ‘promptly.’

Once the review is done, the committee can suggest moves determining Mendendez’s future in the upper chamber, like recommending a vote to expel the senator found guilty of bribery.

Former Attorney General Eric Holder and his law firm, Covington & Burling LLP, will conduct vetting of potential running mates for Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign, Reuters reports.

Holder was Barack Obama’s attorney general.

The selection of a running mate is one of the most important early decisions Harris, who is aiming to wrap up the Democratic nomination in the coming days, can make at the beginning of her campaign.

From Rob Crilly, Chief U.S. Poltitical Correspondent

Sen. J.D. Vance held his first solo campaign event Monday after being selected as Donald Trump‘s running mate and slammed elite Democrats for they way they catapulted Kamala Harris into the running for president.

He returned to his hometown of Middletown, Ohio, where he showed off the attack-dog style that won over Trump.

‘The idea of selecting the Democrat party’s nominee because George Soros and Barack Obama and a couple of elite Democrats got in a smoke filled room and decided to throw Joe Biden overboard…. That is not how it works,’ he said.

‘That is a threat to democracy …not the Republican Party, which is fighting for democracy every single day.’

Harris has been anointed successor to Joe Biden by party leaders and power players ever since the president stunned the world by announcing he would not seek reelection on Sunday.

Two Democratic congressional leaders are expected to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris soon.

Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill, House Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will meet with Harris ‘shortly.’

He then offered praise of the vice president: ‘Vice President Kamala Harris has excited the community. She’s excited the House Democratic Caucus, and she’s exciting the country.’

Jeffries and Schumer are some of the last holdouts among Democratic leadership that have not endorsed Harris for president.

By Emily Goodin, senior White House correspondent

President Joe Biden has completed his tenth dose of Paxlovid and is ‘almost’ symptom free as he continues to recover from COVID, the White House said on Monday.

‘President Biden completed his tenth dose of P AXLOVID this morning. His symptoms have almost resolved completely. His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and temperature remain absolutely normal. His oxygen saturation continues to be excellent on room air. His lungs remain clear,’ Biden’s physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor wrote in a letter released by the press office.

‘The President continues to perform all of his presidential duties.’

Biden remains at his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Del., recovering from COVID. He was briefed virtually on Monday by his Homeland Security adviser Liz Sherwood and by his National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, the White House said.

While joe Biden is at his Delware beach house with COVID, Kamala Harris hosted college athletes on the White House lawn.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. begans talks with Donald Trump about endorsing his campaign just hours after the assassination attempt last weekend.

Four people familiar with the talks said Trump was promising a job in his potential future administration for RFK Jr. to oversee a portfolio of health and medical issues.

But Trump’s orbit was concerned about a quid pro quo of a job for RFK Jr. in exchange for his endorsement of the Republican candidate.

DailyMail.com obtained exclusive photos of RFK Jr. working out at a gym in Milwaukee, Wisconsin during the Republican National Committee last week:

The top California Democrat had remained silent about whether she was in support of Harris following President Joe Biden‘s stunning withdrawal from the race Sunday afternoon.

The former speaker – who is speculated to have played a critical role in the pressure campaign to get the president to bow out – announced her endorsement in a statement Monday.

Talk show host Montel Williams may have briefly dated Kamala Harris but that does not mean she can rely on his support.

As news circulated that President Joe Biden was standing aside and endorsing his vice president, Williams weighed in on social media declaring that he was ready to campaign.

But not for her necessarily. Instead he said he was ready to get behind Wes Moore, governor of Maryland and someone seen as a future presidential candidate or 2024 VP pick.

‘I’d love to see Wes Moore leading the ticket or otherwise on my ballot and I’m ready to campaign,’ he posted on X.

‘I’ve watched Wes Moore lead my home state of Maryland, and I know leadership when I see it.’

Kamala Harris lavished President Joe Biden with praise on Monday after he endorsed her to be the Democratic nominee for president and prepared to visit her new campaign office.

The vice president made her first public appearance since Biden exited the 2024 contest, hosting an event for National Collegiate Athletic Association championship teams from the 2023-2024 season on the South Lawn of the White House.

She praised Biden’s service to his country and noted she first met him through his son Beau. Harris and Beau Biden were both state attorneys general – she in California and he in Delaware. Beau died in 2015.

‘The qualities that Beau revered in his father are the same qualities I have seen every day in our president:His honesty, his integrity, his commitment to his faith, and his family is a big part of it and his love of country.’

‘We are deeply deeply grateful for his service to our nation,’ she added.

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle enraged lawmakers Monday as she awkwardly danced around questions from Congress trying to explain how a 20-year-old was able to shoot Donald Trump.

Thomas Crooks, 20, climbed to the roof of a building roughly 140 yards away from the stage of a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13 before opening fire, shooting the former president and others, leaving one dead.

The tragedy has thrust Cheatle into the hot seat over how such an oversight, leading to the near-death of a former president and current presidential candidate, could happen under her watch.

On Monday morning, Cheatle testified before the House Oversight Committee that her agency is still actively investigating the assassination attempt on Trump that occurred nine days ago, and thus she is unable to answer many questions.

This earned her the scorn of Republicans and Democrats who peppered her with requests that she resign and reveal more about the agency’s historic failure.

The White House called a travel and photo lid at 11:44 a.m. ET on Monday.

That means President Biden, who is recovering from COVID, is not expected to be seen for the rest of the day.

He has not been seen in public since conducting a campaign stop in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Wednesday and returning to Delaware. And he monumentally dropped out of the 2024 race on Sunday.

The White House said the American public will hear from Biden later this week regarding his shock decision. No specifics have been determined yet.

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle implied that she wouldn’t resign if either Donald Trump or President Joe Biden were assassinated during a brutal hearing on Capitol Hill.

The embattled Cheatle was grilled by lawmakers on the enormous security failure that led to Trump’s shooting and rejected calls to resign.

She said she takes ‘full responsibility’ for the lapses that led to the assassination attempt.

But when she was asked if she would step down if Trump had been killed, she said she would have done what she is now: Cooperating with the investigation.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who served as a Biden reelection campaign co-chair, joined the growing number of Democrats backing Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday.

Whitmer released a statement with her endorsement and said Harris has her full support.

‘In Vice President Harris, Michigan voters have a presidential candidate they can count on to focus on lowering their costs, restoring their freedoms, bringing jobs and supply chains back home from overseas, and building an economy that works for working people,’ Whitmer wrote.

‘She’s a former prosecutor, a champion for reproductive freedom, and I know that she’s got Michigan’s back,’ Whitmer continued.

Her endorsement is notable because she was floated as a potential swap-in for Biden.

Following Joe Biden‘s monumental withdrawal from the presidential race, Republicans are now focusing attacks against Kamala Harris‘ handling of the ‘catastrophic open border crisis.’

Biden’s shocking withdrawal from the 2024 election has left a power vacuum expected to be filled by Harris – who he endorsed shortly after dropping out.

But the vice president’s grip on the party’s nomination is far from solidified as many in Democratic leadership have yet to come out in support of her.

Seeing her as the predominant threat, at least as of now, Republicans have turned their attacks on Harris, who infamously was put in charge of stemming illegal immigration in 2021 as Biden’s ‘border czar.’

House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. is introducing a resolution Monday ‘condemning Kamala Harris’ role as Joe Biden’s ‘Border czar’ leading to the most catastrophic open border crisis in history.’

Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., asked Secret Service Director Cheatle whether she thinks she is the ‘best person to lead the Secret Service.’

She replied with a staggering response:

I think I am the best person to lead the Secret Service at this time.

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle offered a bizarre excuse for why there had not been an agent on the rooftop where a gunman fired shots at former President Donald Trump.

The director explained it’s because the agency generally ‘prefers sterile rooftops.’

She made the stunning admission during a heated hearing before the House Oversight Committee, just nine days since Trump was shot onstage at a rally in Bulter, Pennsylvania.

Chairman James Comer opened the hearing demanding to Cheatle’s face that she be ‘fired’ following the near-assassination attempt.

Trump narrowly dodged a bullet to the head shot by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks on July 13 on the roof of a nearby building, just 400 feet away.

Comer said a ‘huge question that every American has’ is why there wasn’t a Secret Service agent on the roof.

‘When we are providing ‘overwatch’ whether that be through counter snipers or other technology, [we] prefer to have sterile rooftops,’ Cheatle said.

Cheatle had initially tried not to answer whether there had been any agent on the roof that day and whether law enforcement had used drones that day to survey the scene, to the groans of committee members.

She later admitted the FBI had informed Secret Service that the shooter had flown a drone on the day of the shooting.

Cheatle could not tell lawmakers how the shooter had gotten onto the roof.

When Kamala Harris was running for California Attorney General over a decade ago Donald Trump donated to her campaign.

In 2011 and 2013 Trump made two donations of $5,000 and $1,000 – a total of $6,000 – to the future Democrat Vice President. Ivanka Trump also donated $2,000.

Harris later gave the money to a civil rights charity.

In 2016 Trump described how he gave money to Republicans and Democrats so that ‘when I want something I get it.’

The Secret Service has a zero fail mission, but it failed on July 13 and in the days leading up to the rally.

It is my firm belief, Director Cheatle, that you should resign.

President Joe Biden decided that his health would impede his run for reelection, a Democratic senator revealed Monday.

On a call with reporters, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said Biden decided against running due to his physical well-being, the New York Times reported.

‘He came to the conclusion that his health rendered him unable to look the American people in the eye and say ‘I can do this for four plus years,” Kaine reportedly said on the call.

A White House official told DailyMail.com that Biden’s health ‘was not a factor.’

By Katelyn Caralle, Senior U.S. Political Reporter

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Col.) wants a public appearance from President Joe Biden.

The day after Biden announced by letter he was dropping out of the race, online conspiracies are swirling about the health and wellbeing of the president.

Biden has not been seen for five days after he was pulled from the campaign trail on Thursday during a west coast swing after he was diagnosed with COVID-19 for a third time.

His decision to end his reelection bid was announced by letter published to X where Biden said he would address the nation later in the week.

The President endorsed VP Kamala Harris to replace him in a follow-up social media post.

Boebert wrote on X Monday morning:

I demand proof of life from Joe Biden today by 5:00pm. He needs to get in front of some camera and discuss if he’s aware that he dropped out. Hiding is completely unacceptable.

Some governors were considered among those who could replace President Joe Biden for the Party’s ticket in November – but many are coming out to back Vice President Kamala Harris for the spot.

Notably, Gov. John Carney of the President’s home state of Delaware did not weigh in on Biden’s decision to drop out or choose Harris to take his place on the ticket.

Many governors thanked Biden for his leadership, but did not endorse Harris. Among those who fall in this category are:

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers

Here is the full list of U.S. governors who publicly said they will back the VP’s bid for president:

California Gov. Gavin Newsom

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee

By Morgan Phillips, Congress Reporter for DailyMail.com

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has arrived on Capitol Hill, where she’s expected to face a barrage of questioning from the House Oversight Committee.

Speaker Mike Johnson has also made an appearance at the hearing.

Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green, R-Tenn., is headed to Butler, Pa. today to survey the site of the Trump shooting.

His committee is hosting a hearing on the assassination attempt on Tuesday, one day after Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle appears before the Oversight Committee.

‘We have a lot of questions, but one thing is pretty clear: Director Cheatle needs to step down as the head of the Secret Service,’ Green said.

DailyMail.com exclusively learned that Green’s committee will host Col. Christopher Paris, commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police, and Patrick Yoes, national president of the Fraternal Order of Police, during a public hearing at 10 a.m. ET on Tuesday, July 23.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore joined the chorus of Democratic governors lining up to back Vice President Kamala Harris’ bid for president.

He wrote in a statement on the endorsement:

Vice President Harris has the experience, record, vision, and wisdom to unify the country. President Biden selected her to serve by his side because he knew she could lead the nation.

Moore joined other Democratic governors to meet with Biden at the White House on July 3 amid concerns over his fitness for office after the disastrous debate against Donald Trump last month.

Among the other state leaders who backed Harris are Govs. Gavin Newsom (Calif.), Gretchen Whitmer (Mich.), Josh Shapiro (Penn.), Roy Cooper (N.C.) and Kathy Hochul (N.Y.).

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear gave a full endorsement of Kamala Harris for president on Monday morning.

‘The Vice President is ready. She has my full endorsement. I’m going to do everything I can to endorse her,’ he said on MSNBC’s Morning Joe.

The Democrat who recently won a red state has been floated as a potential running mate. He sidestepped questions over whether he would join the ticket, saying he loves his current job.

‘The only way I would consider something other than this current job is if I could further believed I could further help my people and to help this country,’ Beshear said.

When pressed on the VP spot, he said if the campaign called, he would listen.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper is a top name being floated as a potential Kamala Harris running mate.

The term-limited governor endorsed Harris on Sunday. He confirmed on Morning Joe Monay morning that he spoke to Harris. He said they discussed winning the election.

When asked about joining the ticket, Cooper said the conversation needs to remain focused on Harris. He said the conversation about vice presidential picks needs to occur later.

‘I want to make sure Kamala Harris wins,’ he said.

Cooper argued Harris at the top of the ticket changes the dynamic in North Carolina.

‘I’ve seen immediate excitement here,’ he said.

Congressional Democratic leaders are split over whether they are backing Vice President Kamala Harris for president after Joe Biden’s bowing out of the presidential race on Sunday.

Notably, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries have not endorsed Harris.

Other lesser-known members of leadership, however, have announced their support of the vice president

Here is the full list of Capitol Hill Democratic leaders throwing their support behind Harris:

• Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Michigan
• Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts
• Sen. Mark Warner, Virginia
• Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Minnessota
• Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, Nevada
• Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin
• Sen. Brian Schatz, Hawaii
• Rep. Katherine Clark, Massachusetts
• Rep. Pete Aguilar, California
• Rep. Ted Lieu, California
• Rep. Joe Neguse, Colorado

Vice President Kamala Harris has raised almost $50 million in grassroots donations since President Joe Biden endorsed her on Sunday afternoon, the campaign announced early Monday morning.

‘Since the President endorsed Vice President Harris yesterday afternoon, everyday Americans have given $49.6 million in grassroots donations to her campaign,’ the campaign said in a statement.

Biden endorsed Harris moments after he announced his decision to exit the presidential race.

The Biden campaign has renamed itself Harris for President.

Despite weeks of crisis talks and dozens of Democrats calling for him to step down, Joe Biden’s Sunday decision to withdraw still managed to take America – and most White House and campaign staffers – by surprise.

The 81-year-old president was isolating with COVID at his $3.4 million holiday home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, when his shrinking inner circle handed him polling data showing he could no longer beat Donald Trump after his train-wreck debate performance over three weeks ago and the poor handling of its aftermath, sources have confirmed.

That was when they were finally able to convince a reportedly angry Biden to draft a letter saying it was time for him to step aside for the good of the Democratic Party with donors pulling millions of dollars in pledged funds and the list of elected Democrats telling him to drop growing by the minute.

Jill Biden was by her husband’s side when he eventually made the historic call, giving into mounting pressure. But a spokeswoman for the First Lady said it was the president’s judgment alone, and confirmed he made it late.

‘Down to the last hours of the decision only he could make, she (Jill Biden) was supportive of whatever road he chose,’ the spokeswoman said. ‘She’s his biggest believer, champion, and always on his side, in that trusted way only a spouse of almost 50 years can be.’

Here’s how a seemingly foregone conclusion somehow managed to stun the nation:

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle will face a barrage of questioning Monday morning as lawmakers seek answers on how the biggest Secret Service breach in four decades took place under her watch.

Monday’s hearing marks the first time the public will hear extensively about what happened from Cheatle under questioning from the House Oversight Committee.

Since the July 13 shooting, she’s done no press conferences and very few interviews, but has insisted she will not resign.

Comer said on Fox News Sunday the hearing would go on for six hours and Cheatle would face ‘hundreds of questions.’

‘The Secret Service has thousands of employees and a significant budget, but it has now become the face of incompetence,’ Comer will say at the hearing, according to his opening remarks obtained by DailyMail.com.

Donald Trump piled on President Joe Biden on Monday morning, claiming he ‘doesn’t remember quitting the race’.

The former president also stated that the 81-year-old is ‘arranging talks with Presidents Xi of China and Putin of Russia, concerning the start of World War 3’.

Trump has demanded Biden resign from office, suggesting that he can’t run the country if he doesn’t have the faculties to run again in 2024.

By Katelyn Caralle, Senior U.S. Political Reporter

The main Super PAC backing Donald Trump released an ad claiming Vice President Kamala Harris helped cover up Joe Biden’s mental decline.

It came out in key swing states of Arizona, Georgia and Pennsylvania just hours after President Biden announced on Sunday he was ending reelection bid.

The MAGA Inc.’s ad narrator said:

Kamala was in on it. She covered up Joe’s obvious mental decline…Kamala owns this failed record.

By Katelyn Caralle, Senior U.S. Political Reporter

President Joe Biden was hesitant to end his reelection bid because he was worried his VP wasn’t up to taking on Donald Trump in November.

Vice President Kamala Harris received Biden’s endorsement moments after he decided to drop out of the 2024 race on Sunday.

But three Biden aides familiar with recent talks about the decision told Axios that the President doubts Harris can beat Trump.

Harris’ three-and-a-half-years as VP were marred by staff turnovers attributed to her treatment of the team, as well as a failed policy portfolio that included a disastrous handling of the migrant crisis in her role as Biden’s ‘border czar.’

The same day Biden stepped aside and endorsed his No. 2, a slew of senior Democrats and Party leaders came out to show their support for Harris. This included the likes of former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, as well as lawmakers like Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

But a poll of Georgia voters conducted before Sunday revealed Trump is ahead by Harris 51 percent to 46 percent in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup – meaning she doesn’t fare any better than Biden in her chances against the former president.

When she ran for president in the 2020 Democratic primary, Harris performed poorly and often only received low single digits in polling against the other candidates.

In just 106 days the US will elect a new President with Donald Trump for the Republicans likely to face off against Kamala Harris for the Democrats although her nomination is not confirmed.

With President Joe Biden dropping out of the race last night, even more eyes will be glued to events in the US so here are some key dates to keep in your diaries

• Democratic National Convention

The four-day convention takes place from August 19 to 22 and is where a candidate, most likely to be Ms Harris, will be finalised to lead the party on November 5.

Delegates from each state and territory will nominate their presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

Before he exited the race, President Biden agreed to two televised debates with Donald Trump – the first of which led to concerns about his durability for a second term.

On September 10, the second debate takes place on ABC.

Ms Harris finds herself in a strong position for the Democratic nominee on Monday given endorsements from President Biden and Bill and Hillary Clinton.

But it is by no means certain she will lead the Democrats on Election Day

Full scale internal Democratic election processes cannot take place as Biden has already been chosen as the candidate, so contenders will have to put themselves forward at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month.

Let’s take a look at who they could be:

Rose to prominence during the Pandemic by criticising Trump’s handling of the crisis – then shot on to front pages when a plot was hatched by extremist Trump supporters to kidnap her.

Advocates greater gun control and cleaner energy, the very opposite of Trumpism.

Wife of former president Barack Obama

A graduate of Princeton and Harvard, she is known to the world because while working as a young lawyer was a colleague of future president Mr Obama. They have been married 32 years, and have two daughters.

She impressed many as First Lady – and her 2018 memoir, Becoming, has sold 11. 5m copies. Has not suggested she would stand.

Rated for his telegenic looks – but likely to face problems over the current condition of the ‘Golden State’. California faces budget problems, and distinctly un-telegenic images of crime, drug and homelessness problems in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

An impressive speaker who has won praise for his governorship of what is a key swing state – and, remarkably, one poll suggested more than a third of Trump supporters locally like him. Less well-known nationwide, he is a conservative Jew who keeps the Sabbath and follows a kosher diet.

He certainly defies the trend for elderly presidential candidates – and would also be the first openly gay man to occupy the White House. Graduated from Harvard, and was also, like former Democrat president Bill Clinton, a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford. Served in Afghanistan as an lieutenant in the US Navy reserve.

Known to millions around the world as a heart-throb film star, who has won an acting Oscar for his supporting role in Syriana, and another for co-producing Argo, he is also a leading Democrat supporter and fundraiser. Married to glamorous British human rights lawyer Amal. Has not suggested he would stand.

U.S. Senator from West Virginia

Reports emerged Sunday that the Democrat-turned-independent U.S. senator is considering reaffiliating with the Democratic Party to run for the nomination in November.

Earlier on the Sunday shows, Manchin made the rounds calling on Biden to end his reelection bid – but the moderate lawmaker insisted that the hosts stop asking him if he would run for President, saying: ‘Forget about me.’

Early polls showmixed signals for Kamala Harris if she were to secure the Democratic nominee with some overall positives but potential flaws in the key swing states.

In swing states, areas of the US that could be won by either the Democratic or Republican candidate, and even states that have turned reliably blue in recent elections, Harris out-polls Joe Biden even when losing.

She’s within one point – 48-47 – of Trump in Pennsylvania, besting Biden, who was losing 48-45 to Trump.

In Virginia, she leads Trump by five points over Biden, who only leads Trump by four percentage points.

However, those polls were conducted before the assassination attempt on former President Trump and before Biden dropped out.

In a poll conducted from July 9-18 surveying 1,000 Georgians, Trump leads Harris by a 51-46 count, however Harris polled better than Biden among all voters, black voters and Democrats.

The British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has spoken about Joe Biden’s decision to exit the presidential race and not seek re-election to the White House.

Speaking at the Farnborough International Airshow, Sir Keir said:

I respect that decision that he has now made.Not an easy decision, but a decision that I know that he will have arrived at taking into account the best interests of the American people, and I look forward to working with him for the remainder of his presidency.

Donald Trump claimed that Joe Biden’s positive COVID test was phony, demanded he resign and issued an ultimatum to likely new opponent Kamala Harris.

Trump made a series of posts to his Truth Social account attempting to destroy the narrative around Biden’s decision, including the positive COVID-19 test that left the president at home the past few days.

The former president added that he believes Biden is ‘going to wake up and forget that he dropped out of the race today!’

A slew of Hollywood A-listers have backed Kamala Harris to take on Donald Trump for the presidency since she was endorsed by President Biden.

Victory would mark the historic achievement of being the first woman to be elected US President.

To see who is backing her on November 5, see the video below:

President Biden’s decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race leaves Democrats scrambling to replace him with less than four months to go before Election Day.

What follows will be an unprecedented chain of events with Kamala Harris the favorite but by no means certain to become the party’s nominee.

The Democratic National Convention runs from August 19 to 22 in Chicago and Biden had been expected to formally accept the nomination there.

What are the nominating rules?

The Democratic party does have rules in place which determine what happens should the president step aside before being formally nominated.

While Biden had the necessary delegates his formal nomination was set to take place during a virtual roll call before the convention. The latest guidance is that it would happen in the first two weeks of August, but not before August 1.

Because Biden exited the race before officially becoming the nominee the more than 3,900 pledged delegates get to cast their ballots in an open convention for whichever candidate they want.

Every alternative to Biden whose name had been floated prior to him dropping out of the race insisted they were backing Biden. It’s not clear who would jump in the race aside from Harris with his departure.

If a candidate wins the majority of pledged delegates on the first ballot, they become the party nominee.

If no candidate gets a majority, then the nearly 740 so-called ‘superdelegates’, also known as automatic delegates, get to vote as well. They include a mix of party members and elected officials.

Voting continues until a candidate gets a majority of delegates.

Our reporters Emily Goodin and Nikki Schwab have the inside track on the decision that ‘completely blindsided’ the White House as Joe Biden dropped out of the race on Sunday.

The 81-year-old president was isolating with COVID at his $3.4 million holiday home in Delaware, when aides showed him data that convinced him he was no longer able to beat Donald Trump.

Hello and welcome to MailOnline’s live coverage after President Joe Biden sensationally dropped out of the race to take on Donald Trump for the US presidency in November.

President Biden has endorsed his Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the party against the Republicans while senior Democrats including Bill and Hillary Clinton have shown their support for who could be the first female commander-in-chief.

We will bring you all the latest news and reaction as world leaders have their say on President Biden’s bombshell decision.