President Joe Biden is encountering increased pressure from within his own party to withdraw from the presidential race. Party leaders in Congress have warned Biden that his candidacy at the top of the ticket could lead to significant electoral losses for Democrats in the presidential, Senate, and House races.
President Biden, who tested positive for Covid on Wednesday and is currently self-isolating at his Delaware home, is reportedly more receptive to calls for him to step down. This comes after he had firmly resisted such suggestions following his poor debate performance on June 27, which highlighted concerns about his age. The pressure is mounting as the Republican National Convention recently nominated Donald J. Trump and momentum seemed to shift towards the GOP following an assassination attempt on Trump.
In a series of coordinated public statements and private leaks to American media over Wednesday and Thursday, along with the release of troubling poll numbers indicating a desire for a new candidate, Democrats have intensified their demands for Biden to reconsider his candidacy.
Adam Schiff, a close ally of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic candidate for a secure Senate seat in California, stated, “While the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden’s alone, I believe it is time for him to pass the torch.. A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November.”
ABC News reported that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, during a private meeting with Biden on Saturday, advised him that it would be best for him to withdraw from the race. Schumer’s office officially stated that he had shared his caucus’s perspective with Biden but did not deny the report. Additionally, last Thursday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries met with Biden to express the sentiments of his caucus, where opposition to Biden continuing is even more pronounced, with nearly two dozen representatives already publicly urging him to step down.
Congressional leaders worry that if Biden remains in the race, he could negatively impact other Democratic candidates, potentially leading to significant losses across the board. If Trump is elected as a result, it would leave Democrats without a means to counter his actions. A Democratic House staffer who believes Biden should quit told HT on Thursday, “We are facing a real threat of Trump controlling the White House, Republicans flipping the Senate and retaining the House, and arch-conservatives controlling the Supreme Court. The stakes are too high to indulge Biden in his fantasies”.
A new AP-Norc Center for Public Research poll revealed that 70% of respondents believe Biden should withdraw from the race. Among Democrats, 65% supported this view, with the number rising to 75% among Democrats aged 18-44 years. These younger voters, who are essential for Biden’s electoral success and have already exhibited signs of dissatisfaction and disengagement this election cycle, are a key demographic.
On Thursday, the New York Times reported that Nancy Pelosi had discussed Biden’s prospects with him, expressing that she was “pessimistic” and disputing his claims that polls were not unfavorable. Shortly afterward, the Washington Post revealed that former President Barack Obama, a prominent figure among Democrats, had informed his aides of his serious concerns regarding the viability of Biden’s candidacy.
In an interview on Wednesday, before it was known that he had Covid, Biden stated he would be willing to withdraw if a doctor advised him that he had a condition preventing him from continuing. Last week, he mentioned he would consider stepping down only if his team indicated he couldn’t win. Earlier, Biden had said he would only drop out if he received a divine directive to do so.
This change in stance—from relying on divine guidance to consulting pollsters and doctors—comes as reports indicate Biden has been more receptive to various viewpoints and reviewing polls comparing his vice president, Kamala Harris, with Trump, as she is the most likely candidate to succeed him.
Some Democrats suggest Biden should time his withdrawal announcement for Thursday, just before Trump’s convention speech, to shift the narrative and energize the base. However, Biden has publicly maintained that he is the party’s nominee, emphasizing that 14 million Democrats voted for him in the primaries. Despite a “bad night” in the debate, he has expressed a desire to “finish the job” and plans to run in November. Nonetheless, the growing sentiment within the party may be making Biden’s position increasingly untenable.
