US election 2024 - "There is total panic behind the scenes": Democrats are working on Biden's withdrawal
For Joe Biden, the air in the race for a second term is thinning. Although there is no open revolt against a second candidacy of the US President in the Democratic Party, reports suggest that behind closed doors, there is feverish discussion on how to persuade the 81-year-old to exit the race for the White House.
Biden should graciously step down
"I'll be honest: Everyone goes on TV and says all these wonderful things, but behind the scenes, there's total panic," political analyst Van Jones stated on US cable news channel CNN. "People are passing around legal memos, PDFs are flying back and forth on WhatsApp, trying to figure out what options there are. How can we replace Biden? How can we get him to do it in a way that makes him feel respected?"
The conversations on camera and off camera are completely different, reported the former advisor to US President Barack Obama. In fact, discussions have already begun about who the current Vice President Kamala Harris should bring as her running mate if she challenges Donald Trump instead of Biden.
Jones praised Biden as a "great candidate," but Democrats must make a responsible decision about what the best way forward is. "We have someone who loves this country. We have someone who has given everything – I mean everything, down to the last drop – for this country," said the 55-year-old. He understood that people want to defend and protect Biden and give him the space and dignity to make his own decision. "But he might not be able to cross the finish line. And a determined party must consider that."
Exactly that is happening now, Jones explained. There is currently a big discussion about how to replace Biden, not if.
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The stern team on site keeps you informed every Saturday in the free newsletter "Inside America" about the most important developments and provides insights into how Americans really look at their country. After entering your email address, you will receive a confirmation email. We handle your data confidentially. Another parliamentarian quoted by Axios said Biden should "step down and help lead the transition of the candidacy" and that "a very large majority of the faction holds this opinion." A fourth congressman told the news outlet that nervous voters and interest groups in their districts had "inundated" them this week: "So many people are telling us that he can't win, that he needs to step down."
According to "Axios," the representatives have "found it unavoidable" that the Democrats need a new candidate, and have decided on Vice President Harris as Biden's replacement. According to sources, there is a draft letter circulating among representatives, calling on Biden to resign, and this is "all that's being talked about." Bloomberg also reports on this letter.
CNN reports that in the Democratic Party, a succession plan is taking shape, where the President would immediately make his support, campaign funds, and delegates available to Harris to prevent the party from being split by a nomination fight.
"There's what's publicly said, and what's happening behind closed doors," confirmed US correspondent for Deutschlandfunk Doris Simon on her radio show on Thursday morning. The public isn't privy to the discussions among Democrats about what to do if Biden withdraws his candidacy.
"There's a palpable effort in the party to protect a president who has accomplished things in office in recent years, a president who is really respected by many people, even loved by some, from being harmed in this difficult step."
How the Democrats can successfully carry out this effort can be heard in the statements of Minnesota Governor and Democratic Governors Association Chair Tim Walz. After a crisis meeting with Biden at the White House on Wednesday evening, Walz publicly declared his support: "The governors are clearing the way for him, and we're working together to make that very clear."
Then Walz added a sentence that hints at a way Biden could withdraw as a personal sacrifice for the good of the nation and save face: "A path to victory in November is priority number one, and it's priority number one for the president."
- Despite the lack of open opposition, whispers of persuading Joe Biden to withdraw his candidacy for the 2024 US Presidential election are echoing within the Democratic Party.
- Van Jones, a political analyst, revealed on CNN that there's a sense of urgency behind the scenes, with discussions about potential replacements for Biden and strategies to convince him to step down.
- If Biden decides not to run, there have been discussions about Kamala Harris bringing Tim Walz or another notable figure as her running mate for the US - Election 2024 against Donald Trump.
- Sources suggest that a draft letter is circulating among Democrats, calling on Biden to resign in favor of Harris to prevent a divisive nomination fight, though CNN reports that such a letter has not been officially presented.
- Bloomberg has also reported on the circulating draft letter, adding another layer to the growing pressure on Biden to reconsider his candidacy for another term as US President.
- In light of these discussions, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, as the Democratic Governors Association Chair, declared his support for Biden after a White House meeting, suggesting a potential path for Biden to withdraw gracefully for the sake of a potential victory in the US election.
