Aaron Sorkin backs Kamala Harris for US presidency after originally suggesting Mitt Romney

22 July, 2024

Aaron Sorkin

Aaron Sorkin thrown his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris after current US president Joe Biden announced yesterday (July 21) that he is dropping out of the 2024 race, despite a recent op-ed in which he suggested Mitt Romney should run.

Last Saturday (July 20), Sorkin published an op-ed article in The New York Times titled “How I Would Script This Moment for Biden and the Democrats”. In it, Sorkin lamented the troubles Biden had been facing with his campaign.

The 81-year-old president has faced increased scrutiny following a disastrous debate performance in June, with pleas from fellow Democratic Party colleagues, along with notable public figures like George Clooney, Stephen King and Stephen Colbert, to step down.

“So here’s my pitch to the writers’ room: The Democratic Party should pick a Republican,” Sorkin proposed. “At their convention next month, the Democrats should nominate Mitt Romney.”

Today (July 22), however, the award-winning writer of The West Wing and The Social Network issued a statement via former West Wing colleague and actor Joshua Melina.

“I take it all back. Harris for America!” said Sorkin. Per Deadline, the statement was later confirmed by a Sorkin spokesperson.

Earlier this year, Sorkin revealed plans to write a follow-up sequel to The Social Network with a focus on the January 6 riots. “I’ll be writing about this. I blame Facebook for January 6,” he said on podcast The Town. When the host asked him to explain further, Sorkin teased: “You’re going to need to buy a movie ticket.”

Biden announced his ultimate decision yesterday (July 21), explaining that it was “in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term”.

Biden has also offered his “full support and endorsement” for Vice President Kamala Harris to be the next Democratic presidential candidate. In a new report, Politico reveals that Biden made the decision over the weekend after consulting close aides, who shared dismal polling numbers for his candidacy in several major US cities.

Barbra Streisand wrote that Biden would “go down in history as a man who accomplished significant achievements in his 4 year term”, adding that “we should be grateful for his upholding of our democracy”.

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