Biden loses key supporters
For the first time, a US Senate Democrat calls on President Biden to withdraw from the presidential race publicly. One of the heavyweights of the party reportedly turns against him - although this has happened behind the scenes so far.
In Washington, the opposition to US President Joe Biden is growing. Senator Peter Welch publicly calls on Biden to withdraw. "I urge President Biden to withdraw from the race for the sake of the country," wrote the Democrat from the state of Vermont in an opinion piece in the "Washington Post".
According to reports, Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in the US Senate has also shown himself open to replacing Biden with donors. Axios reported this based on two unnamed sources. So far, Schumer has publicly and unconditionally supported Biden. The judgment of another Biden supporter came earlier, with the force of a thunderclap: Hollywood star George Clooney ruled out Biden's candidacy in the "New York Times" and called for him to withdraw.
Should Schumer also turn openly against Biden, the 81-year-old could finally lose the support of the Congress. Then the fate of Biden's candidacy would be sealed. Nancy Pelosi, one of the most powerful figures in the Democratic Party and a close confidant of the President, remained committed to Biden in a TV interview. In the "Morning Joe" program, allegedly Biden's favorite political breakfast TV show, the 84-year-old said: "It's up to the President to decide whether he runs." She added: "We all encourage him to make this decision. Time is running out." In response to the moderator's comment that Biden had apparently already decided to stay in the race, Pelosi evaded the question.
Pelosi's response surprises Biden's supporters
Instead, she deflected: "He is loved, he is respected, and the people want him to make this decision." Pelosi had previously stood firmly behind Biden after his TV debate debacle against Republican challenger Donald Trump. However, she expressed doubts only last week and said that it was a "legitimate question" whether Biden's stumble in the TV duel was "just an episode or a condition."
Pelosi, who is 84 years old herself, is running for re-election to the US House of Representatives in November. The well-known Democratic Senator John Fetterman, who supports Biden, reacted surprised to Pelosi's recent statements. "It's decided. It's strange that she says that." Hours after Pelosi's interview, another congressman spoke out against Biden.
At the NATO summit in Washington, Biden countered a journalist's question about whether Nancy Pelosi still supported his presidential candidacy, with a clenched fist. This incident occurred when the heads of state and government of the 32 NATO countries gathered for a family photo. Biden's self-confident counter moved not only Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz, who stood stiffly behind him, but also caused a stir.
Today, a grilling awaits the Democrats: The closing press conference of the NATO summit. There, Biden must answer the questions of the press without a teleprompter. Biden is prone to promises and stumbles in such situations.
Biden has also announced a new TV interview, to show that he can handle questions without a prompter. On Monday evening (German night to Tuesday), he will face the questions of NBC journalist Lester Holt. Last week, Biden gave his first interview after the debate to the network ABC and emphasized that only God could move him to withdraw.
The Democratic Senator John Fetterman, a Biden supporter, expressed surprise at Pelosi's recent statements against Biden's candidacy. If Nancy Pelosi, a close confidant of President Biden and a powerful figure in the Democratic Party, were to publicly turn against him, it could potentially signal the end of Biden's candidacy for the US Presidential Election 2024. Hollywood star George Clooney, another influential figure in the Democrats, had previously ruled out Biden's candidacy and called for his withdrawal, further indicating growing opposition within the party.
