Biden thanks campaign staff in Delaware following decision to drop out

President Biden met Thursday with hundreds of staffers who worked on his 2024 campaign following his decision to end his reelection bid.

The president traveled to Wilmington, Del., where he spoke during a closed-door gathering at The Queen theater to thank them for their support and work on his campaign.

A campaign official told reporters that a few tears were shed during the meeting and that Biden took photos with each individual who wanted one.

Biden announced July 21 that he would no longer run for reelection, writing that it was “in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”

The president faced mounting pressure from Democrats to step aside as the party’s nominee following a disastrous debate performance against former President Trump in late June.

Biden backed Vice President Harris as the party’s nominee in his place, and Harris quickly consolidated support and officially became the new nominee this week.

The vice president has drawn crowds of thousands during trips to battleground states and has pulled even with Trump in national and swing state polls.