NJDSC Chair LeRoy J. Jones, Jr. Statement on President Joseph R. Biden

TRENTON, NJ:  NJDSC Chair LeRoy J. Jones Jr., is releasing the following statement:

I’ve maintained from the outset that I believe President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. has done historically tremendous work serving as our President these last four years.  President Biden’s decision to step back and allow for the selection of a new candidate to represent the Democratic Party against Donald Trump is just the latest example of what it looks like when someone prioritizes public service over their own self-interest and places the needs of the country above all.

I would like to thank President Biden on behalf of New Jersey Democrats for his lifetime of service and for his unique ability to rise to the moment once again and allow us all to devote our collective focus to making sure we defeat Donald Trump in November.  I cannot imagine how difficult it was for him to arrive at this decision.

Trump’s rambling, meandering “speech” as the standard bearer for the Republican Party at the Republican national convention has hopefully served to crystallize the clear and present danger he poses to our country and our very democracy.

With the world watching, Trump used his stage to praise dictators, demonize immigrants, and advance disproven lies about both election fraud and his multiple ongoing legal issues.  He lied almost two dozen times about everything ranging from inflation and job creation to his deadly response to Covid, while also somehow finding a moment to praise a fictional movie cannibal.  And, yet, Trump never touched upon Project 2025 and his desire to eliminate every woman’s right to determine her own health care.

It is long past time that we all devote our full energy to defeating Donald Trump and making sure we elect Democrats up and down the ballot this November, starting with Kamala Harris for President if she is selected as the nominee.  This threat is real and it deserves everyone’s full focus.  President Biden’s action today allowing us all to move forward should serve as the exclamation point on a truly extraordinary career of service to the American public.  Now we need to come together and hold up our end as Democrats.

In President Biden’s own estimation, Vice President Harris has been a tremendous partner in the fight to put America back on the right track and if she successfully obtains the Party nomination then we need to organize behind her and do the work to deliver New Jersey. In fact, one of the things the New Jersey Democratic Party does best is win elections, so we are certainly looking forward to being part of this historic process in seeking to determine the full extent of our national Democratic ticket against Trump, Vance and the engineers of Project 2025. We also have many incredible candidates, like our own Senator Cory Booker, who could be excellent VP nominees.  That said, no matter the candidate, New Jersey is prepared to deliver for the Democratic Party.