US election campaign - Fateful days in Washington: Biden loses restraint
The headwind against Joe Biden in the race for his presidency is getting stronger. The US President is losing support within the Democratic Party and among donors. According to a survey, 56 percent of party members surveyed are in favor of Biden withdrawing from the presidential race. Democratic Party leader Nancy Pelosi's subtle distancing from Biden could have opened the door for such a withdrawal.
The concern is
Biden is currently fighting to save his candidacy for the November presidential election. Due to his age, there are questions in the US about whether Biden is the right Democratic candidate. Biden has had to answer questions about his mental fitness following his disastrous TV debate performance against his Republican challenger Donald Trump (78). He reacts defensively to criticism, but has so far ruled out an exit from the race. The press conference at the end of the NATO summit in Washington could be the decisive test for him today.
So far, a rebellion against the 81-year-old in his party has not materialized. But no day passes without further Democrats or supporters expressing doubts about Biden's candidacy. The Democrats fear that the waning support for Biden could pull them down with him. The Republicans are expected to gain control of the White House and Congress after the election. In addition to the presidency, many seats in Congress will be up for grabs.
And it's not just opposition from Washington. Who are the Biden rebels?
The political opponents
No critical mass has yet formed against Biden. Publicly, more than ten parliamentarians have called for his withdrawal. But what Pelosi said in a TV interview is much more significant. In the show "Morning Joe," allegedly Biden's favorite political morning talk show, the 84-year-old said on a Wednesday: "It's up to the president to decide if he runs." She added: "We all encourage him to make this decision. Time is running out."
On the moderator's comment that Biden had already made up his mind to stay in the race, Pelosi responded evasively. It is highly unlikely that the professional politician simply misspoke. She surely knew what she was doing - and her words carry immense weight in the party.
Reports also indicate that Democratic Majority Leader in the Senate Chuck Schumer is openly in favor of a Biden alternative. If political heavyweights like Pelosi and Schumer lose faith in Biden, Biden is against the wall.
The financially powerful opponents
Hollywood is generally known to be rather liberal - no wonder that Biden has significantly more support there than Trump. Film stars are among the party's major donors. With the force of a thunderbolt, a reckoning from Hollywood star George Clooney was published in the "New York Times." The 63-year-old urged the US President bluntly to withdraw from the race. A battle he cannot win is the fight against time. Director and producer Rob Reiner ("When Harry Met Sally") joined Clooney and wrote: "Joe Biden must make way."
In the past week, reports emerged that a wealthy Disney heir has been withholding her financial support for the party until Biden withdraws from the presidential candidacy race. The "New York Times" reported that a growing number of major donors are demanding a replacement candidate. However, Biden continues to attend fundraising galas for himself.
The Polls
Biden and his team argue that the debate had no effect on the polls. This is not entirely true. Biden was already slightly behind Trump in many polls before the debate. Since the debate, the gap has widened in some polls. However, he often still falls within the margin of error. A recent poll by the polling research institute Ipsos shows Trump and Biden tied at 46 percent each. According to the survey, 67 percent of Americans and 56 percent of Democrats believe Biden should drop out.
National polls do give a trend, but the numbers from the contested states, which neither the Republicans nor the Democrats can rely on, are more important. These so-called Swing States are crucial for the election. Trump has been able to expand his lead in polls since the debate in these states.
With Fist Clenched
Biden should pay close attention to these numbers. The consequences he draws from them are up to him. He won the necessary delegate votes in the primaries. The candidate will then be officially nominated at the party convention in August. Therefore, Biden should withdraw voluntarily. Biden's team portrays him as a seasoned politician who has shown his opponents that they are wrong.
This is Biden's current strategy. In response to a journalist's question about whether Nancy Pelosi still supports his presidential candidacy, Biden showed a clenched fist at the NATO summit.
Originally, the focus of the US President should have been on the 75th anniversary of the NATO summit, which is taking place in Washington this week. However, the debate about Biden's candidacy overshadows this important meeting.
If Biden stumbles at the NATO closing press conference, it could put more pressure on him. After all, he promises to shine especially when he speaks freely or answers questions spontaneously. At a press conference, the teleprompter cannot help him. CNN wrote about a historic press conference.
Biden has also announced another TV interview for Monday to demonstrate that he can handle situations without a prompter. On Monday evening (US night on Tuesday), he will face questions from NBC journalist Lester Holt. Last week, Biden gave his first interview after the debate to ABC and emphasized that only God could force him to withdraw.
- The strength of the headwind against Joe Biden's presidential election campaign is increasing, with 56% of surveyed Democrats in favor of his withdrawal.
- Nancy Pelosi's subtle distancing from Biden could open the door for his withdrawal from the Presidential election in the United States.
- Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Majority Leader in the Senate, is reportedly in favor of a Biden alternative for the US Election 2024.
- George Clooney, a Hollywood star and major Democratic Party donor, urged Biden to withdraw from the race in an article published in the New York Times.
- The Republicans are expected to gain control of the White House and Congress after the US election, with many seats in Congress up for grabs.
- If politics heavyweights like Pelosi and Schumer lose faith in Biden, he would be "against the wall" in his presidency campaign.
- The NATO Summit in Washington could be a crucial test for Biden, as he faces questions about his mental fitness and performance in debates.
- The New York Times reported that a wealthy Disney heir is withholding financial support for the party until Biden withdraws from the presidential candidacy race.
- Joe Biden should pay close attention to the polls, which show a widening gap between him and Donald Trump in some Swing States that are crucial for the US election.
- In response to questions about his candidacy, Biden showed a clenched fist at the NATO summit, demonstrating his determination to stay in the race for US-President.
