Although Mr. Biden has publicly vowed to stay in the race, a source told CNN that he is now “more receptive to calls of concern” about his prospects. Reports from Axios and NOTUS suggest he could drop out as early as this weekend.
Top Democratic officials are pressuring President Joe Biden to reassess his presidential candidacy.
Former President Barack Obama reportedly privately told colleagues that Joe Biden needed to think about the viability of his campaign.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Joe Biden that his party could lose its chance of taking control of the House of Representatives if he does not withdraw from the 2024 race.
Concerns about Joe Biden’s age have always existed, but they were highlighted last month after his disastrous performance in a televised presidential debate.
Biden acknowledged that he was slow and stumbled, but he blamed it on travel fatigue.
Sidelined with COVID-19
Some Democrats are hoping Biden, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, will take a fresh look at the trajectory of the race in the coming days.
Biden himself has repeatedly insisted thathe didn’t back downthat he was the candidate who had beaten Trump before and would do it again.
In a radio interview, he rejected the idea that it was too late for him to recover politically.
If Democrats are serious about replacing Biden and putting Vice President Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket, insiders say this weekend will be crucial in changing the president’s mind.
“More receptive”
In recent days, President Biden has become more receptive to arguments for dropping his reelection bid, Democrats briefed on his conversations said Wednesday, after his party’s top two leaders in Congress privately told him they were deeply concerned about his chances against Donald Trump, according to The New York Times.
The former House speaker and Senate majority leader have reportedly spoken separately with the president in recent days, warning him that he cannot beat Mr. Trump and risks dragging the entire party down with him in November.
A source told CNN he is now “more receptive to calls of concern” about his future prospects. Reports from Axios and NOTUS suggest he could to withdraw this weekend.
Kamala Harris would do “a good job” as head of state
As Joe Biden faces increasing pressure to abandon his re-election bid, a A majority of Democrats believe her vice president would make a good president herself.
About 6 in 10 Democrats think Kamala Harris would do a good job as president, according to a new poll by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. About 2 in 10 Democrats don’t think she would, and another 2 in 10 say they don’t know enough to say.
Since Mr. Biden’s June 27 debate debacle, many Democrats have privately, if not openly, looked to Ms. Harris to take over from Mr. Biden as the party’s presidential nominee, believing she has a better chance against GOP nominee Donald Trump. For her part, Ms. Harris has remained staunchly loyal to Mr. Biden, whom she has been one of Biden’s most vocal defenders following his disastrous debate performance.
Additional sources • The Independent, The New York Times, adaptation: Serge Duchêne