'West Wing' creator Aaron Sorkin pens passionate op-ed endorsing shock candidate to replace Biden... before issuing bizarre backflip

West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin penned a passionate op-ed endorsing a shocking campaigner to switch President Joe Biden - earlier issuing a bizarre backflip.

The 63-year-old writer bizarrely based on that nan Democrats should prime a Republican campaigner to conclusion erstwhile President Donald Trump - and suggested Sen. Mitt Romney, of Utah, would beryllium nan cleanable choice.

'Nominating Mr. Romney would beryllium putting our money wherever our rima is:  a clear and powerful objection that this election isn't astir what our elections are usually astir it, but astir stopping a deranged man from taking power,' Sorkin wrote successful an effort for nan New York Times connected Sunday.  

'Mr. Romney could make nan lawsuit that nan Democrats are putting state earlier statement and denote his bipartisan furniture picks astatine nan normal arsenic well.'

But aft Biden, 81, announced that he was withdrawing from nan race conscionable a fewer hours later and announced he was endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, Sorkin retracted what he called his 'pitch to nan writers' room.'

'I return it each back. Harris for America!' Sorkin wrote successful an email to West Wing prima Joshua Harris, asking him to stock nan connection connected X.

His publicist Jodie Oriol later confirmed to Variety that nan connection was real.

But successful his op-ed, Sorkin based on 'there isn't a Democrat who is polling importantly amended than Mr. Biden.'

He compared Biden's presidency to that of his fictional president, Jed Bartlet, who decides to tally for re-election aft it is revealed he had aggregate sclerosis and was hiding it from nan wide nationalist - overmuch for illustration concerns astir Biden's property and intelligence acuity.

However if connected nan show polls suggested that nan president successful The West Wing was successful threat of losing to a 'dangerous imbecile pinch an observable psychiatric disorder' and a 'dump motortruck of ignorance' - for illustration Sorkin suggested Biden is - nan writer would person him driblet retired of nan race.

Sorkin went connected to ideate a script successful which erstwhile President Barack Obama, who defeated Romney successful 2012, came connected shape astatine nan Democratic National Convention to 'full-throatedly' endorse his erstwhile force and 'remind us, erstwhile again, that we’re not reddish states and bluish states but nan United States.'

'The prime is betwixt Donald Trump and not-Trump, and nan not-Trump campaigner needs only 1 qualification: to triumph capable votes from a transverse conception of Americans to adjacent disconnected nan erstwhile president's Electoral College way backmost to power,' Sorkin concluded.  

The effort sparked beardown reactions connected societal media Sunday, arsenic galore bullied Sorkin for suggesting nan Democrats nominate a Republican.

Journalist Seamus Malekafzali claimed that nan proposal was 'outrageously stupid moreover by his standards,' and  journalist Imani Gandy said that it is 'peak West Wing encephalon rot.'

Podcaster Stephen L Miller besides called Sorkin's endorsement of Romney 'the funniest f****** point [to happen] successful this full ordeal.

'They demonized him, called him a murderer, had a statement moderator measurement successful to thief Obama, and now they are like...Yeah we should nominate that guy.

'God this is truthful fun.'

But Biden stunningly announced connected Sunday that he was dropping retired of nan 2024 statesmanlike election.

'It has been nan top grant of my life to service arsenic your President,' nan president wrote successful a missive posted to his X relationship connected Sunday. 

'And while it has been my volition to activity reelection,' he went on, 'I judge it is successful nan champion liking of my statement and nan state for maine to guidelines down and to attraction solely connected fulfilling my duties arsenic President for nan remainder of my term.'

He went connected to endorse Harris to win him arsenic nan Democratic nominee to return connected Donald Trump in November. 

Harris later released her ain statement, successful which she seemed to judge Biden's endorsement arsenic a de facto superior triumph and said she will lead nan statement to triumph successful November. 

'With this selfless and patriotic act, President Biden is doing what he has done passim his life of service: putting nan American group and our state supra everything else,' she wrote a fewer hours aft Biden ended his bid. 

'I americium honored to person nan President's endorsement and my volition is to gain and triumph this nomination,' she added earlier listing her credentials for getting nan motion from her boss. 

'Over nan past year, I person traveled crossed nan country, talking pinch Americans astir nan clear prime successful this momentous election,' she wrote. 'And that is what I will proceed to do successful nan days and weeks ahead. I will do everything successful my powerfulness to merge nan Democratic Party—and merge our nation—to conclusion Donald Trump and his utmost Project 2025 agenda.'

'We person 107 days until Election Day. Together, we will fight. And together, we will win.'

In nan aftermath, Democrats received floods of grassroots donations.

Just an hr aft Biden released his bombshell announcement, Democrats brought successful much than $5 cardinal successful donations, according to search connected ActBlue. 

By nan extremity of 3 hours Sunday afternoon, nan avalanche of donations had climbed to astir $16 cardinal online and much rate was still coming in. In 20 minutes alone, different $1 cardinal was raised connected Sunday evening.

In conscionable complete 4 hours, nan full had climbed to astir $25 cardinal raised.  In six hours, it scope $35 cardinal raised. In 7 hours, nan number deed astir $50 million.

Yet, conscionable because Biden backed Harris to return his spot doesn't mean she automatically will person nan nomination. 

Biden had not yet secured nan Democratic Party's nomination, and location is still a short clip to switch Harris earlier nan Democratic National Convention adjacent period and debar an unfastened convention. 

The party's information arena falls August 19-22 successful Chicago, Illinois. 

It now appears that Harris will beryllium astatine nan apical of nan Democratic summons by nan extremity of that week aft superior voters formed their ballots for Biden to beryllium nan nominee.