The White House was stunned by Biden's withdrawal announcement, aides learned through X

President Joe Biden's decision to suspend his 2024 re-election campaign came as a surprise to the White House and his campaign advisers, leaving them in a state of shock and confusion.

According to a report from Politico, up until the moment Biden made the announcement Sunday afternoon via X (formerly Twitter), the president's top advisers were convinced he would remain in the race.

The abrupt decision was communicated exclusively through social media, leading many aides to learn the news for the first time by reading the letter posted on Biden's official account. 

"We’re all finding out by tweet," commented one Democrat familiar with the initial reaction, visibly puzzled by the lack of prior communication. "None of us understand what’s happening," he added.

The surprise was heightened when the Biden campaign, in a remarkable mismatch with the news, sent out a fundraising e-mail for "Joe and Kamala" just eight minutes after the announcement.

With Biden out of the race, Democrats now face the urgent task of adjusting their plans and strategies in a rapidly changing political environment just months before the presidential election.