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 why he should withdraw as the Democratic presidential candidate.
According to a report by the "New York Times," US-President Joe Biden has become "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 the past few days, the two highest-ranking Democrats in the US Congress have informed Biden of their concerns about his prospects of being re-elected in November. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Majority Whip Hakeem Jeffries made it clear to the President that the Democratic majority in the Senate is also at risk if he remains the presidential candidate. Schumer is the Democratic leader in the Senate, while 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 willing to listen to new and alarming polling data, though. He has also asked questions about how Vice President Kamala Harris could win the Democratic nomination. The Republicans recently officially nominated former President Donald Trump as their candidate for the election in November at their convention in Milwaukee. Trump is set to formally accept the nomination on this Thursday.
"Open to listening"
A close associate of the President told the "New York Times" it was wrong to label him as "receptive" to the idea of withdrawing. But they emphasized that there were no signs that Biden was changing course. This person also noted that Biden had sharply criticized Democrats pushing him to withdraw just a week ago.
According to a CNN report, influential Democrat Nancy Pelosi has also advised Biden to withdraw. During a phone call, she informed him that recent polls showed he couldn't beat Trump. Instead, she argued that Biden was damaging the Democrats' chances of winning back the House of Representatives, where they currently lack a majority.
In his 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 implemented will be decided this weekend.
It is clear that the decision to stay in the race or withdraw is ultimately Biden's alone. Since the Democratic primaries have already taken place 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 voluntarily withdraw - 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. "The President told the two party 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," said a spokesperson for the President.
In a survey released on a Wednesday, nearly two-thirds of Democratic voters expressed their support for Biden stepping down. However, so far, only 20 members of the House of Representatives and one Senator have publicly called for it. The debate about whether Biden is the right candidate has been ongoing for years. It has gained significant momentum following his disastrous TV debate performance against Trump.
Despite the growing calls for United States President Joe Biden to step down ahead of the 2024 Presidential Election, he has yet to acknowledge changing his mind about his campaign. In a recent conversation, Vice President Kamala Harris and Biden discussed her potential chances of winning the Democratic nomination, indicating that Biden is open to exploring alternative options. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump has been officially nominated as the Republican candidate for the election.
