Hours after an op-ed by Aaron Sorkin was published in the New York Times in which he suggested Democrats put forward Republican Senator Mitt Romney as their candidate to defeat Donald Trump this November, the Oscar-winning screenwriter had a change of heart. The President dropping out of the race and endorsing his Vice President to succeed him will do that.
“I take it all back. Harris for America!,” Sorkin said, asking former “West Wing” star Josh Malina to share the sentiment on his Twitter since the “Social Network” screenwriter is famously not on social media. While Malina is something of a jokester, TheWrap confirmed the validity of Sorkin’s about-face — the statement is real.
In his op-ed, Sorkin imagined the current political scenario in “West Wing” terms and wrote the script for what should happen next. “Nominating Mr. Romney would be putting our money where our mouth is: a clear and powerful demonstration that this election isn’t about what our elections are usually about, but about stopping a deranged man from taking power.”
Hours after the op-ed was published, President Joe Biden shocked the nation by announcing on social media that he would be stepping aside as the Democratic nominee for President. The move came after weeks of calls for Biden to step down following his alarming performance during his June debate with Donald Trump and subsequent TV interviews that did little to ease fears about his fragility.
In an additional statement, Biden endorsed his Vice President to run in his stead. Plenty of Democrats followed suit (including Sorkin), and Harris announced her intention to seek the nomination.
“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” Harris said in a statement. “Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election. And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead. 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.”