President Biden is reportedly considering dropping out of the presidential race as he realizes he has until the end of the week to turn his campaign around.
President Biden has told a key ally that he knows he may not be able to salvage his candidacy if he cannot convince the public in the coming days that he is up for the job after a disastrous debate performance last week.
The president, who the ally emphasized is still deeply in the fight for re-election, understands that his next few appearances heading into the holiday weekend â including an interview scheduled for Friday with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News and campaign stops in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin â must go well.
âHe knows if he has two more events like that, weâre in a different placeâ by the end of the weekend, said the ally, referring to Mr. Bidenâs halting and unfocused performance in the debate. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive situation.
If he doesn’t do well, it isn’t easy to see how the President can reassure his party that they can win in November. Make no mistake about it: this ongoing freakout is taking place at the top of the Democratic Party. The polling shows that Biden has not lost much if any, ground to Trump after the debate. Rank and file Democrats are supporting the President. The problem is that the party’s elite have gotten scared and are on a rollercoaster of panic.
Biden’s mission isn’t to reassure the country at large but to calm down his party, and if Democrats at the top of the party don’t settle down by next week, the President will need to make a decision.
If Biden withdraws, the nominee will likely be Vice President Harris, the only person legally who can use the Biden campaign fundraising and infrastructure. Harris would also need to choose a running mate, and there would be no surprise if Pete Buttigieg’s name popped up for the potential VP slot.
Should Biden choose to step aside, look for Democrats to highlight the contrast with Trump by going young and highlighting the exact people that Trump is trying to attack and take rights away from.
None of this means that Biden will step down, but the conversation about it potentially happening is serious, and it is time for Democrats to face the possibility that it could happen.
UPDATE: The White House has refuted the NYT report, “That claim is absolutely false. If the New York Times had provided us with more than 7 minutes to comment we would have told them so.”
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
