US election campaign - Showdown among Democrats: Biden in trouble - Trump is delighted
Internal Pressure on President Joe Biden from US Democrats continues to grow. In quick succession, more Democrats from Congress have publicly urged their 81-year-old party colleague to exit the Presidential race. The tone is becoming harsher. A congressman even publicly admitted that Biden did not recognize him during a recent encounter. The Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump used his first campaign rally after the attack on him to fiercely criticize his stumbling rival Biden and mock his crisis.
The Democratic Revolt
The background of the rebellion are doubts about President Biden's mental fitness and his ability to beat Trump in the November election and serve another term. By now, around three dozen party friends from both chambers have openly called on Biden to step down from the race for a second term.
Behind the scenes, according to media reports, the party's top brass is trying to persuade Biden to withdraw, including the two top Democrats in Congress, Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, as well as the former Speaker of the House and still influential Democrat, Nancy Pelosi. Biden's former boss, former President Barack Obama, is also said to have expressed concerns.
The coordinated action from within the party is noteworthy. The fact that the most influential Democrats in the country made public statements in parallel in the past few days should not be a coincidence.
And slowly but surely, uncomfortable details are coming to light. Democratic Representative Seth Moulton described in his call for Biden to step down an encounter with him on the sidelines of the D-Day anniversary celebrations in Normandy: "For the first time, he didn't seem to recognize me."
Cover-up?
Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy accused the Democrats of trying to cover up the truth about Biden for a long time. He told CNN, "They have always told voters how fit and agile the President is. They all knew that wasn't true."
Biden had retreated to his private home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, after contracting the Coronavirus a few days ago and has since declined all appointments. Publicly, he has rejected all withdrawal calls so far and instead announced that he would return to the campaign trail in the coming week. His campaign team insists that he has no intention of dropping out. According to US media, Biden privately no longer rules out a withdrawal from the Presidential race in the face of the massive resistance within his own ranks.
Trump's Schadenfreude
For Trump, Biden's crisis and the Democratic Party is a found feast. "They have a few problems. First of all: They don't have a clue who their candidate is," Trump taunted the Republican at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The 78-year-old was hailed by his party with great fanfare and a show of unity as the Presidential candidate just a few days ago.
Trump made fun of the democratic incumbent multiple times during his appearance. Biden can't find his way off the stage alone. "He has no idea what he's doing," Trump stated. The Republican insulted his opponent as a "weak old man" and "stupid people," who surround themselves with communists and bad people.
Offensively, Trump also went after Vice President Kamala Harris, who is considered the likely replacement candidate if Biden were to drop out of the campaign. "She's crazy," Trump exclaimed. He could tell by her laughing. "She's nuts."
Trump's rally in Grand Rapids no longer took place outside, but in an arena. The Secret Service, responsible for protecting high-ranking politicians in the US, admitted in a report by the "New York Times" that they had rejected several requests for additional resources for Trump's protection in the past years. The spokesperson for the agency initially dismissed such allegations after the attack. However, they did not comment on the report upon request. The head of the agency is scheduled to speak at the Congress about the attack on Trump on Monday and Tuesday.
In Grand Rapids, Trump appeared at a campaign rally for the first time with his new vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance. "I've made the right choice," Trump said about his new companion. "He's great."
Trump's campaign team also released details about Trump's gunshot wound. The bullet missed Trump's head by less than an inch, according to Trump's doctor Ronny Jackson. The bullet hit the upper part of Trump's right ear and caused an approximately two-centimeter-wide wound. He is healing well. Jackson emphasized: "It's a miracle he wasn't killed."
Secret Service under pressure after the attack
- Amidst this internal conflict within the Democratic Party, former US-President Barack Obama has reportedly expressed concerns about President Joe Biden's mental fitness and election prospects.
- The Grand Rapids leg of Donald Trump's campaign rally saw the Republican Presidential candidate fiercely criticize Biden, mocking his crisis and his abilities.
- Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, and Nancy Pelosi, top Democrats in Congress, are part of the efforts to persuade President Biden to withdraw from the US Election 2024 race.
- In response to accusations of covering up Biden's mental fitness, Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy stated that the Democrats had always claimed Biden to be fit, despite knowing otherwise.
- The US election campaign has been thrown into crisis with repeated calls for Biden's withdrawal from the race, prompting speculation about Joe Biden and the Democrats' campaign strategy.
- Following the attack, Donald Trump's campaign team announced that he had narrowly escaped death, with the bullet missing his head by less than an inch.
- In the midst of this political drama, House Minority Leader McCarthy's accusations have added to pressure on the Secret Service, responsible for protecting high-ranking politicians in the United States of America.
- Mike Johnson, a prominent Republican, openly questioned Biden's ability to lead and serve another term as US-President, echoing the concerns of many people across the United States.
- As the Republican Party rallies behind Trump, Democratic Representative Seth Moulton described a recent encounter with Biden, where he did not recognize the congressman for the first time.
- With the US Election 2024 looming and the current political landscape shaking up, Hakeem Jeffries and other influential Democrats have publicly called for a showdown, hinting at a potential change in the Democratic Party's leadership.
