'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 candidate to replace President Joe Biden - before issuing a bizarre backflip.

The 63-year-old writer bizarrely argued that the Democrats should select a Republican candidate to defeat former President Donald Trump - and suggested Sen. Mitt Romney, of Utah, would be the perfect choice.

'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 it, but about stopping a deranged man from taking power,' Sorkin wrote in an essay for the New York Times on Sunday.  

'Mr. Romney could make the case that the Democrats are putting country before party and announce his bipartisan cabinet picks at the convention as well.'

But after Biden, 81, announced that he was withdrawing from the race just a few hours later and announced he was endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, Sorkin retracted what he called his 'pitch to the writers' room.'

'I take it all back. Harris for America!' Sorkin wrote in an email to West Wing star Joshua Harris, asking him to share the statement on X.

His publicist Jodie Oriol later confirmed to Variety that the statement was real.

But in his op-ed, Sorkin argued 'there isn't a Democrat who is polling significantly better than Mr. Biden.'

He compared Biden's presidency to that of his fictional president, Jed Bartlet, who decides to run for re-election after it is revealed he had multiple sclerosis and was hiding it from the general public - much like concerns about Biden's age and mental acuity.

However if on the show polls suggested that the president in The West Wing was in danger of losing to a 'dangerous imbecile with an observable psychiatric disorder' and a 'dump truck of ignorance' - like Sorkin suggested Biden is - the writer would have him drop out of the race.

Sorkin went on to imagine a scenario in which former President Barack Obama, who defeated Romney in 2012, came on stage at the Democratic National Convention to 'full-throatedly' endorse his former opponent and 'remind us, once again, that we’re not red states and blue states but the United States.'

'The choice is between Donald Trump and not-Trump, and the not-Trump candidate needs only one qualification: to win enough votes from a cross section of Americans to close off the former president's Electoral College path back to power,' Sorkin concluded.  

The essay sparked strong reactions on social media Sunday, as many ridiculed Sorkin for suggesting the Democrats nominate a Republican.

Journalist Seamus Malekafzali claimed that the suggestion was 'outrageously stupid even by his standards,' and  journalist Imani Gandy said that it is 'peak West Wing brain rot.'

Podcaster Stephen L Miller also called Sorkin's endorsement of Romney 'the funniest f****** thing [to happen] in this entire ordeal.

'They demonized him, called him a murderer, had a debate moderator step in to help Obama, and now they are like...Yeah we should nominate that guy.

'God this is so fun.'

But Biden stunningly announced on Sunday that he was dropping out of the 2024 presidential election.

'It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,' the president wrote in a letter posted to his X account on Sunday. 

'And while it has been my intention to seek reelection,' he went on, 'I believe 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.'

He went on to endorse Harris to succeed him as the Democratic nominee to take on Donald Trump in November. 

Harris later released her own statement, in which she seemed to accept Biden's endorsement as a de facto primary win and said she will lead the party to victory in November. 

'With this selfless and patriotic act, President Biden is doing what he has done throughout his life of service: putting the American people and our country above everything else,' she wrote a few hours after Biden ended his bid. 

'I am honored to have the President's endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,' she added before listing her credentials for getting the nod from her boss. 

'Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election,' she wrote. '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.'

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

In the aftermath, Democrats received floods of grassroots donations.

Just an hour after Biden released his bombshell announcement, Democrats brought in more than $5 million in donations, according to tracking on ActBlue. 

By the end of three hours Sunday afternoon, the avalanche of donations had climbed to nearly $16 million online and more cash was still coming in. In 20 minutes alone, another $1 million was raised on Sunday evening.

In just over four hours, the total had climbed to nearly $25 million raised.  In six hours, it reach $35 million raised. In seven hours, the number hit nearly $50 million.

Yet, just because Biden backed Harris to take his spot doesn't mean she automatically will receive the nomination. 

Biden had not yet secured the Democratic Party's nomination, and there is still a short time to replace Harris before the Democratic National Convention next month and avoid an open convention. 

The party's nomination event falls August 19-22 in Chicago, Illinois. 

It now appears that Harris will be at the top of the Democratic ticket by the end of that week after primary voters cast their ballots for Biden to be the nominee.