Last updated on August 28th, 2024 at 11:06 am
There was virtually no warning of President Joe Biden’s surprise announcement, and the immediate reaction was a belief that his X feed had been hacked. An Associated Press “flash” alert was sent at 1:54 p.m. Eastern, and the first television network breaks into regular programming were between 1:50 p.m. ET (Fox News Channel) and 2:04 p.m. (ABC).
Historic Campaign Thunderstrike
The Associated Press described Biden’s announcement as “a late-season campaign thunderstrike unlike any in American history.” CBS News analyst Ashley Etienne called it “an incredible day in American history,” furthering the notion that this was, at the very least, an unprecedented event.
Lack of Visuals Creates Challenges
But despite the dramatic news, the story was strictly light on visuals. A week after the same video of former President Donald Trump speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania and at the Republican National Convention had been replayed endlessly, with every phrase sliced and diced, the news about Biden’s decision was strictly without much new to show and view. That meant news shows struggled to find alternatives.
Minimal Media Coverage because of Lack of Visuals
The news broke when President Biden announced the decision on social media at 1:46 p.m. Eastern, and 33 minutes later, an endorsement from Vice President Kamala Harris followed. Not having appeared on camera yet after his COVID-19 diagnosis still fresh, there was very little visual material of the president news outlets could use. As a result, media personnel were scrambling to cover it, and for many reporters and anchors, the three-day weekend essentially became a nonstarter. Fast-Moving Coverage From News Networks
Newspeople scrambled to report on the story as it broke. Wolf Blitzer for CNN, John Roberts for Fox News Channel, and Rachel Maddow for MSNBC were among those whose broadcasts worked around the breaking news. ABC and CBS gave the story more airtime than NBC, which, after 30 minutes, moved to coverage of a NASCAR race.
Jen Psaki’s Key Role in Breaking the News
Jen Psaki, Biden’s former White House press secretary, was in a studio following her Sunday show, positioning her to break the news about her former boss. The networks quickly pivoted to discuss a possible Harris-Trump general election matchup before Harris officially announced her candidacy roughly two hours later.
Historical Echoes of Biden’s Announcement
News of the announcement immediately drew parallels with March 31, 1968, when President Lyndon Johnson sent shockwaves throughout the nation when he announced he would not stand for re-election. Unlike the fevered speculation about Biden’s intentions, his announcement came as a surprise, out of the blue, after earlier assurances that he was remaining in the race, despite a disastrous debate performance against Trump last June.
Surprise and Reaction from Biden’s Camp
The announcement even seemed to catch Biden’s White House and campaign staff off guard. Later in the week, Biden is expected to address the nation amid struggles by political onlookers and campaign staff to come to terms with what this means.
