Barack Obama offered a heartfelt thank you to President Joe Biden for his years of service and applauded his decision to drop out of the race ― though he stopped short of endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the new Democratic nominee.

“Joe Biden has been one of America’s most consequential presidents, as well as a dear friend and partner to me. Today, we’ve also been reminded — again — that he’s a patriot of the highest order,” wrote Obama, who won the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections with Biden as his running mate.

The former president applauded the Biden administration’s accomplishments, including passing landmark legislation on gun safety and climate change, creating jobs, restoring “America’s standing in the world,” and guiding the country out of the “chaos, falsehood, and division that had characterized Donald Trump’s administration.”

That track record, he continued, gave Biden “every right to run for re-election and finish the job he started,” so his decision to drop out was surely a difficult one, Obama continued.

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“For him to look at the political landscape and decide that he should pass the torch to a new nominee is surely one of the toughest in his life,” the former president said. “But I know he wouldn’t make this decision unless he believed it was right for America. It’s a testament to Joe Biden’s love of country — and a historic example of a genuine public servant once again putting the interests of the American people ahead of his own that future generations of leaders will do well to follow.”

One thing was notably absent from Obama’s remarks: an endorsement for Harris, whom Biden has advocated to replace him.

Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton both endorsed the vice president as the nominee, saying Americans must “fight with everything we’ve got to elect her.”

Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), the first Congressional Democrat to call on Biden to step aside earlier this month, called for an open process to determine the new nominee, saying Harris is the “leading candidate” but that the party “should be open to all talented individuals who wish to be considered.”

Harris said she was “honored” to receive Biden’s endorsement. “I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party—and unite our nation—to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda,” she said in a statement.

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