An NBC news special report. President Biden dropping out of the race for the White House. The historic bombshell now rocking the race for President. The President throwing his support behind his vice President, Kamala Harris. Prominent Democrats coming out in support of her. Members are very excited. Voters on the ground are very just talking about, because they are also potential candidates to be the Democratic nominee if they so choose. So I think that they are getting this in gear and have been for quite some time, Lester. But there's no doubt, particularly in the wake of that debate performance by President Biden, that they thought they had the upper hand in this race. The polling bore that out both nationally and in the battleground states. And so the Trump campaign is really going to have to pivot here. There's no doubt about that. We're going to see a strategy shift, Lester. All right, Chris. And thank you. We're hearing from Vice President Harris tonight thanking Joe Biden for his endorsement. But so many questions remain, will she get the full backing of top Democrats, as we've been discussing, and how will voters respond to her? Here's Yamish Al-Sindor with what's ahead in Union workers see Kamala Harris as a threat to their very existence, particularly in the auto industry. She has also carried the administration's message about reproductive rights. It's something we didn't hear much of at the Republican Convention. Does that change President Biden dropping out of the race for President, endorsing his Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him as the nominee. Tonight, the fallout as the country comes to grips with the late reshuffling of the race and the questions this hour about what happens next. Vice President Harris saying she wants to earn the nomination. Many Democrats throwing their support behind her. I think you see it coming together for a candidate who is a strong person. Will others challenge her, or will the party unite behind her? She's crazy. She's nuts. Former President Trump weighing in tonight what he says about Kamala Harris and how voters are reacting. I think he didn't have a chance against Trump. As weird as that sounds, I'm excited about it. It was a shock, but at the same time, they must feel it's best for the option. As the race for the White House enters unchanted territory.This is an NBC news special report President century. President Biden's historic decision to end his campaign for re-election is what may be the final chapter in the story of a political giant. Tonight, President Biden's decision to drop his bid for re-election, a stunning and abrupt end to a five-decade-long political career. The President stepping aside under immense pressure from fellow Democrats who feared he could not repeat his performance of four years ago when he narrowly defeated former President Trump So help me God. He had waited longer than any other commander-in-chief to achieve his lifelong ambition, elected to the Senate at age 29 in 1973. Weeks later, a tragic car accident. My wife and three children were Christmas shopping, tracked a trailer, broadside of it, and killed my wife and killed my daughter. He led the controversial confirmation hearings of Clarence Thomas, featuring sexual harassment allegations from Anita Hill.Is this what you anticipated? This? No, not at all. And as Senator, he helped pass the landmark Violence Against Women Act. In 2008, then candidate Barack Obama Obama tapped him to be his running mate. Later, Vice President Biden famously caught on a hot mic, celebrating the passage of the Affordable Care Act. He also pushed President Obama to support same-sex marriage by publicly declaring his support for it first. I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women, and hetero sexual, men and women marrying men are entitled to the same exact rights. After his son, Bo, died of brain cancer, Joe Biden said he didn't think about running for President again in 2020 until he saw Donald Trump enter the race. We're in a battle for the soul of this nation. That January, he told me he had the experience to unite the country. The next President of the United States is going to inherit a divided country and a world in disarray. And the question is, who is best prepared at this moment to be able to deal with both of those crises? That seems like a bold statement for any politician in this environment right now to suggest that you might be able to heal the depth of divisions in this country.We have to. Lester, if we don't, we are in deep trouble. Later that year, we spoke at a town hall after his first debate with then President Trump. I'm used to bullies. I used to stutter when I was a kid. I learned how to fight. Democrats celebrated his win over Mr. Trump, and as President, he had success, overseeing the end of the pandemic and passing a historic bipartisan infrastructure law. Okay, here we go. But he also struggled with low approval ratings, a record number of migrants crossing the border and soaring inflation, something I pressed him about. You said inflation was going to be temporary. I think a lot of Americans are wondering what your definition of temporary is. Well, you're being a wise guy with me a little bit. I understand. There'll be much more conversation, of course, in all this for now. That concludes this NBC News Special Report. We'll have continuing coverage throughout the night on our streaming service, NBC News Now. Also tomorrow on Today. Thank you for joining me, everyone. I'm Lester Holt in New York. Good day. Thanks for watching. Stay updated about breaking news and top stories on the NBC News app or follow us on social media.

just talking about, because they are also potential candidates to be the Democratic nominee if they so choose. So I think that they are getting this in gear and have been for quite some time, Lester. But there's no doubt, particularly in the wake of that debate performance by President Biden, that they thought they had the upper hand in this race. The polling bore that out both nationally and in the battleground states. And so the Trump campaign is really going to have to pivot here. There's no doubt about that. We're going to see a strategy shift, Lester. All right, Chris. And thank you. We're hearing from Vice President Harris tonight thanking Joe Biden for his endorsement. But so many questions remain, will she get the full backing of top Democrats, as we've been discussing, and how will voters respond to her? Here's Yamish Al-Sindor with what's ahead in Union workers see Kamala Harris as a threat to their very existence, particularly in the auto industry. She has also carried the administration's message about reproductive rights. It's something we didn't hear much of at the Republican Convention. Does that change President Biden dropping out of the race for President, endorsing his Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him as the nominee. Tonight, the fallout as the country comes to grips with the late reshuffling of the race and the questions this hour about what happens next. Vice President Harris saying she wants to earn the nomination. Many Democrats throwing their support behind her. I think you see it coming together for a candidate who is a strong person. Will others challenge her, or will the party unite behind her? She's crazy. She's nuts. Former President Trump weighing in tonight what he says about Kamala Harris and how voters are reacting. I think he didn't have a chance against Trump. As weird as that sounds, I'm excited about it. It was a shock, but at the same time, they must feel it's best for the option. As the race for the White House enters unchanted territory.This is an NBC news special report President century. President Biden's historic decision to end his campaign for re-election is what may be the final chapter in the story of a political giant. Tonight, President Biden's decision to drop his bid for re-election, a stunning and abrupt end to a five-decade-long political career. The President stepping aside under immense pressure from fellow Democrats who feared he could not repeat his performance of four years ago when he narrowly defeated former President Trump So help me God. He had waited longer than any other commander-in-chief to achieve his lifelong ambition, elected to the Senate at age 29 in 1973. Weeks later, a tragic car accident. My wife and three children were Christmas shopping, tracked a trailer, broadside of it, and killed my wife and killed my daughter. He led the controversial confirmation hearings of Clarence Thomas, featuring sexual harassment allegations from Anita Hill.Is this what you anticipated? This? No, not at all. And as Senator, he helped pass the landmark Violence Against Women Act. In 2008, then candidate Barack Obama Obama tapped him to be his running mate. Later, Vice President Biden famously caught on a hot mic, celebrating the passage of the Affordable Care Act. He also pushed President Obama to support same-sex marriage by publicly declaring his support for it first. I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women, and hetero sexual, men and women marrying men are entitled to the same exact rights. After his son, Bo, died of brain cancer, Joe Biden said he didn't think about running for President again in 2020 until he saw Donald Trump enter the race. We're in a battle for the soul of this nation. That January, he told me he had the experience to unite the country. The next President of the United States is going to inherit a divided country and a world in disarray. And the question is, who is best prepared at this moment to be able to deal with both of those crises? That seems like a bold statement for any politician in this environment right now to suggest that you might be able to heal the depth of divisions in this country.We have to. Lester, if we don't, we are in deep trouble. Later that year, we spoke at a town hall after his first debate with then President Trump. I'm used to bullies. I used to stutter when I was a kid. I learned how to fight. Democrats celebrated his win over Mr. Trump, and as President, he had success, overseeing the end of the pandemic and passing a historic bipartisan infrastructure law. Okay, here we go. But he also struggled with low approval ratings, a record number of migrants crossing the border and soaring inflation, something I pressed him about. You said inflation was going to be temporary. I think a lot of Americans are wondering what your definition of temporary is. Well, you're being a wise guy with me a little bit. I understand. There'll be much more conversation, of course, in all this for now. That concludes this NBC News Special Report. We'll have continuing coverage throughout the night on our streaming service, NBC News Now. Also tomorrow on Today. Thank you for joining me, everyone. I'm Lester Holt in New York. Good day. Thanks for watching. Stay updated about breaking news and top stories on the NBC News app or follow us on social media.

Union workers see Kamala Harris as a threat to their very existence, particularly in the auto industry. She has also carried the administration's message about reproductive rights. It's something we didn't hear much of at the Republican Convention. Does that change President Biden dropping out of the race for President, endorsing his Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him as the nominee. Tonight, the fallout as the country comes to grips with the late reshuffling of the race and the questions this hour about what happens next. Vice President Harris saying she wants to earn the nomination. Many Democrats throwing their support behind her. I think you see it coming together for a candidate who is a strong person. Will others challenge her, or will the party unite behind her? She's crazy. She's nuts. Former President Trump weighing in tonight what he says about Kamala Harris and how voters are reacting. I think he didn't have a chance against Trump. As weird as that sounds, I'm excited about it. It was a shock, but at the same time, they must feel it's best for the option. As the race for the White House enters unchanted territory.This is an NBC news special report President century. President Biden's historic decision to end his campaign for re-election is what may be the final chapter in the story of a political giant. Tonight, President Biden's decision to drop his bid for re-election, a stunning and abrupt end to a five-decade-long political career. The President stepping aside under immense pressure from fellow Democrats who feared he could not repeat his performance of four years ago when he narrowly defeated former President Trump So help me God. He had waited longer than any other commander-in-chief to achieve his lifelong ambition, elected to the Senate at age 29 in 1973. Weeks later, a tragic car accident. My wife and three children were Christmas shopping, tracked a trailer, broadside of it, and killed my wife and killed my daughter. He led the controversial confirmation hearings of Clarence Thomas, featuring sexual harassment allegations from Anita Hill.Is this what you anticipated? This? No, not at all. And as Senator, he helped pass the landmark Violence Against Women Act. In 2008, then candidate Barack Obama Obama tapped him to be his running mate. Later, Vice President Biden famously caught on a hot mic, celebrating the passage of the Affordable Care Act. He also pushed President Obama to support same-sex marriage by publicly declaring his support for it first. I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women, and hetero sexual, men and women marrying men are entitled to the same exact rights. After his son, Bo, died of brain cancer, Joe Biden said he didn't think about running for President again in 2020 until he saw Donald Trump enter the race. We're in a battle for the soul of this nation. That January, he told me he had the experience to unite the country. The next President of the United States is going to inherit a divided country and a world in disarray. And the question is, who is best prepared at this moment to be able to deal with both of those crises? That seems like a bold statement for any politician in this environment right now to suggest that you might be able to heal the depth of divisions in this country.We have to. Lester, if we don't, we are in deep trouble. Later that year, we spoke at a town hall after his first debate with then President Trump. I'm used to bullies. I used to stutter when I was a kid. I learned how to fight. Democrats celebrated his win over Mr. Trump, and as President, he had success, overseeing the end of the pandemic and passing a historic bipartisan infrastructure law. Okay, here we go. But he also struggled with low approval ratings, a record number of migrants crossing the border and soaring inflation, something I pressed him about. You said inflation was going to be temporary. I think a lot of Americans are wondering what your definition of temporary is. Well, you're being a wise guy with me a little bit. I understand. There'll be much more conversation, of course, in all this for now. That concludes this NBC News Special Report. We'll have continuing coverage throughout the night on our streaming service, NBC News Now. Also tomorrow on Today. Thank you for joining me, everyone. I'm Lester Holt in New York. Good day. Thanks for watching. Stay updated about breaking news and top stories on the NBC News app or follow us on social media.

President Biden dropping out of the race for President, endorsing his Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him as the nominee. Tonight, the fallout as the country comes to grips with the late reshuffling of the race and the questions this hour about what happens next. Vice President Harris saying she wants to earn the nomination. Many Democrats throwing their support behind her. I think you see it coming together for a candidate who is a strong person. Will others challenge her, or will the party unite behind her? She's crazy. She's nuts. Former President Trump weighing in tonight what he says about Kamala Harris and how voters are reacting. I think he didn't have a chance against Trump. As weird as that sounds, I'm excited about it. It was a shock, but at the same time, they must feel it's best for the option. As the race for the White House enters unchanted territory.

This is an NBC news special report President century. President Biden's historic decision to end his campaign for re-election is what may be the final chapter in the story of a political giant. Tonight, President Biden's decision to drop his bid for re-election, a stunning and abrupt end to a five-decade-long political career. The President stepping aside under immense pressure from fellow Democrats who feared he could not repeat his performance of four years ago when he narrowly defeated former President Trump So help me God. He had waited longer than any other commander-in-chief to achieve his lifelong ambition, elected to the Senate at age 29 in 1973. Weeks later, a tragic car accident. My wife and three children were Christmas shopping, tracked a trailer, broadside of it, and killed my wife and killed my daughter. He led the controversial confirmation hearings of Clarence Thomas, featuring sexual harassment allegations from Anita Hill.Is this what you anticipated? This? No, not at all. And as Senator, he helped pass the landmark Violence Against Women Act. In 2008, then candidate Barack Obama Obama tapped him to be his running mate. Later, Vice President Biden famously caught on a hot mic, celebrating the passage of the Affordable Care Act. He also pushed President Obama to support same-sex marriage by publicly declaring his support for it first. I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women, and hetero sexual, men and women marrying men are entitled to the same exact rights. After his son, Bo, died of brain cancer, Joe Biden said he didn't think about running for President again in 2020 until he saw Donald Trump enter the race. We're in a battle for the soul of this nation. That January, he told me he had the experience to unite the country. The next President of the United States is going to inherit a divided country and a world in disarray. And the question is, who is best prepared at this moment to be able to deal with both of those crises? That seems like a bold statement for any politician in this environment right now to suggest that you might be able to heal the depth of divisions in this country.We have to. Lester, if we don't, we are in deep trouble. Later that year, we spoke at a town hall after his first debate with then President Trump. I'm used to bullies. I used to stutter when I was a kid. I learned how to fight. Democrats celebrated his win over Mr. Trump, and as President, he had success, overseeing the end of the pandemic and passing a historic bipartisan infrastructure law. Okay, here we go. But he also struggled with low approval ratings, a record number of migrants crossing the border and soaring inflation, something I pressed him about. You said inflation was going to be temporary. I think a lot of Americans are wondering what your definition of temporary is. Well, you're being a wise guy with me a little bit. I understand. There'll be much more conversation, of course, in all this for now. That concludes this NBC News Special Report. We'll have continuing coverage throughout the night on our streaming service, NBC News Now. Also tomorrow on Today. Thank you for joining me, everyone. I'm Lester Holt in New York. Good day. Thanks for watching. Stay updated about breaking news and top stories on the NBC News app or follow us on social media.

century. President Biden's historic decision to end his campaign for re-election is what may be the final chapter in the story of a political giant. Tonight, President Biden's decision to drop his bid for re-election, a stunning and abrupt end to a five-decade-long political career. The President stepping aside under immense pressure from fellow Democrats who feared he could not repeat his performance of four years ago when he narrowly defeated former President Trump So help me God. He had waited longer than any other commander-in-chief to achieve his lifelong ambition, elected to the Senate at age 29 in 1973. Weeks later, a tragic car accident. My wife and three children were Christmas shopping, tracked a trailer, broadside of it, and killed my wife and killed my daughter. He led the controversial confirmation hearings of Clarence Thomas, featuring sexual harassment allegations from Anita Hill.

Is this what you anticipated? This? No, not at all. And as Senator, he helped pass the landmark Violence Against Women Act. In 2008, then candidate Barack Obama Obama tapped him to be his running mate. Later, Vice President Biden famously caught on a hot mic, celebrating the passage of the Affordable Care Act. He also pushed President Obama to support same-sex marriage by publicly declaring his support for it first. I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women, and hetero sexual, men and women marrying men are entitled to the same exact rights. After his son, Bo, died of brain cancer, Joe Biden said he didn't think about running for President again in 2020 until he saw Donald Trump enter the race. We're in a battle for the soul of this nation. That January, he told me he had the experience to unite the country. The next President of the United States is going to inherit a divided country and a world in disarray. And the question is, who is best prepared at this moment to be able to deal with both of those crises? That seems like a bold statement for any politician in this environment right now to suggest that you might be able to heal the depth of divisions in this country.

We have to. Lester, if we don't, we are in deep trouble. Later that year, we spoke at a town hall after his first debate with then President Trump. I'm used to bullies. I used to stutter when I was a kid. I learned how to fight. Democrats celebrated his win over Mr. Trump, and as President, he had success, overseeing the end of the pandemic and passing a historic bipartisan infrastructure law. Okay, here we go. But he also struggled with low approval ratings, a record number of migrants crossing the border and soaring inflation, something I pressed him about. You said inflation was going to be temporary. I think a lot of Americans are wondering what your definition of temporary is. Well, you're being a wise guy with me a little bit. I understand. There'll be much more conversation, of course, in all this for now. That concludes this NBC News Special Report. We'll have continuing coverage throughout the night on our streaming service, NBC News Now. Also tomorrow on Today. Thank you for joining me, everyone. I'm Lester Holt in New York. Good day. Thanks for watching. Stay updated about breaking news and top stories on the NBC News app or follow us on social media.