Christian leaders widely praised President Biden’s decision to exit the race, offering a variety of perspectives on the future of the presidential election. Biden on Sunday said, “It is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.” His withdrawal came more than three weeks after a disastrous debate performance sparked concerns about his cognitive ability.

Vice President Kamala Harris is the likely replacement on the Democratic ticket.

Here is what five Christian leaders said following Biden’s withdrawal:

Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
“This is one of those amazing moments that will reset American history,” Mohler said in a World Opinion column. “I can remember watching President Lyndon Johnson speak to the nation in a televised address on Vietnam and then, astoundingly, announce that he would not seek or accept the 1968 Democratic nomination. As we watched together in the living room, my dad looked me in the eye and told me I would never forget watching that happen. He was right.

“… Understand clearly that the Democratic Party is going to lurch far to the left with this generational shift. With Biden out of the way, it will be full steam ahead. And Biden bears responsibility for making it all happen. The Democratic left had one final role for Biden to play, and he played it. They finally decided that he played it for too long, and so the gig is up. Brace yourselves for what is to come.”

“The Democratic left had one final role for Biden to play, and he played it. They finally decided that he played it for too long and so the gig is up. Brace yourselves for what is to come.”

Justin Giboney, the AND Campaign
“Christian leaders must be careful in this very polarized election,” Giboney wrote on social media Monday, the day after Biden withdrew. “They can’t be so in the bag for one candidate that they refuse to be honest about the candidate’s faults. They can’t get so caught up in the election that they’re doing more fear-mongering than inspiring. For many, the choice is very clear. That’s fine. But as a Christian leader, you can never simply be a sycophant or a snarling partisan. The people need the truth. The people need hope to carry on even if your candidate loses.”

Andrew T. Walker, fellow, Ethics and Public Policy Center
“I dissent from the idea that this was an act of valor by President Biden,” Walker wrote on social media. “Had he not acted defiantly after the debate or made it clear months ago that he would not run (aided by a compliant press that kept his decline from being more public), that would have been respectable. But let’s call a spade a spade: The Democrats want power, and democracy is an obstacle to that power if it means forfeiting the ability to rule with an iron woke fist. So, a handful of the ultra-powerful just took control of things. Every current and future office-holder should fear the precedent set in today’s announcement.”

Brent Leatherwood, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the SBC
“President Biden’s announcement is clearly the correct decision,” Leatherwood said in a Baptist Press column. “Not only is it a recognition of what is visibly evident to all of us, but it confirms a sentiment expressed by President Calvin Coolidge when he told the press he would not seek another term in the White House: ‘The presidential office takes a heavy toll on those who occupy it and those who are dear to them.’ Our nation deserves a leader who is able to carry out the high demands of the office of president.

“... Should delegates to the Democratic National Convention confirm [Kamala Harris] as the nominee, it will be cause for considerable concern among pro-life advocates and those who hold to a biblical definition of marriage. For example, she touted the Reproductive FACT Act, which required pregnancy resource centers to offer information to pregnant mothers about where they could obtain an abortion (which was thankfully ruled unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court in the NIFLA case) and she refused to defend a state constitutional amendment passed by California voters declaring only marriages between a man and woman as valid. This is not exactly a record that signals a willingness to engage mainstream conservative Americans.”

Lila Rose, founder and president of Live Action
“As California AG, Kamala Harris persecuted pregnancy resource centers and pro-life journalists David Daleiden and Sandra Merrit,” Rose said. “As VP, she’s continued her crusade against pro-life Americans & the preborn. A Harris presidency would be disastrous for human rights.”