Biden more open to pressure from his party
Publicly, US-President Biden has consistently rejected the idea that he could exit the campaign. In private conversations, he has reportedly become more open to arguments for withdrawing his presidential candidacy.
According to a report by the "New York Times," US-President Joe Biden has been more receptive to arguments in recent days about why he should abandon his presidential campaign. The newspaper cites Democrats who have been briefed on conversations at the White House.
In recent days, the two highest-ranking Democrats in the US Congress have informed Biden of their concerns about his re-election prospects in November. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries made it clear to the President that the Democratic majority in the Senate is also at risk if he remains the Democratic presidential candidate. Schumer is the Democratic leader in the Senate, Jeffries holds the same position in the House of Representatives.
However, the "New York Times" also reports that Biden has not acknowledged that he is changing his mind about staying in the campaign. He has been open to hearing new and alarming polling data, and has even asked questions about how Vice President Kamala Harris could win the Democratic nomination. At the Democratic convention in Milwaukee, the Republicans have just officially named former President Donald Trump as their candidate for the November election. Trump is expected to formally accept the nomination on this Thursday.
"Ready to listen"
A person close to the President told the "New York Times" it was wrong to label him as "receptive" to the idea of withdrawing. But he is "ready to listen." This person also emphasized that there is no evidence Biden is changing his course. In the past week, he had criticized Democrats urging him to withdraw sharply.
According to a report by CNN, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has also urged Biden to withdraw. In a phone call, she explained to him that recent polls showed he could not beat Trump. Instead, he was damaging the Democrats' chances of winning back the House of Representatives in November. Unlike in the Senate, the Democrats currently do not have a majority in the House.
During the conversation with Pelosi, Biden insisted that he could still win, according to CNN. The network reports that none of its sources have indicated that Pelosi directly urged Biden to withdraw. A week ago, Pelosi told MSNBC that the President must decide for himself whether to run. "We all encourage him to make this decision, because time is running out."
Time is running out
Time is indeed running out: According to party plans, Biden is not expected to be officially nominated at the August convention, but rather in a virtual vote among delegates beforehand. Whether this plan will be carried out is expected to be decided this weekend.
It is clear: The decision to stay in the race or withdraw is ultimately Biden's alone. Since the Democratic primary elections are long over and Biden emerged as the winner, there is no way for the Democrats to remove him against his will. The only way would be for him to withdraw voluntarily - but only until he is officially nominated. After that, any solution without Biden would be legally shaky.
Officially, the White House dismissed all speculations about Biden withdrawing from the campaign through a spokesperson. "The President told the two faction leaders that he is the candidate of the party, that he wants to win, and that he is looking forward to working with both of them to pass his 100-day agenda and help working families," a White House spokesperson said.
In a survey released on a Wednesday, almost two-thirds of Democratic voters expressed their support for Biden stepping down. However, only 20 representatives in the House and one Senator have publicly demanded it so far. The debate about whether Biden is the right candidate has been ongoing for years. It gained significant momentum after his disastrous TV debate performance against Trump.
Despite the mounting pressure from fellow democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, US President Joe Biden has not committed to withdrawing from the US Presidency Election 2024. However, he has shown a willingness to consider new polling data and potential strategies, such as Vice President Kamala Harris's nomination. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump has been officially named as the Republican candidate for the November election.
As the Democratic primary elections are over and Biden emerged as the winner, he holds the power to decide if he continues his campaign for the US Presidency Election 2024. So far, only a few representatives have publicly urged him to step down, despite nearly two-thirds of Democratic voters expressing their support for his withdrawal in a recent survey.
