Washington: US President Joe Biden's post-debate crisis has ballooned after his series of verbal slip-ups at the NATO Summit as more and more Democrats are now calling for him to withdraw his campaign over concerns for his old age. Despite this, Biden has refused to budge, claiming that he is "the most qualified person to run for President".
Biden, 81, endured days of withering questions about his fitness for office as some of his fellow Democrats on Capitol Hill after his dismal debate performance against former President Donald Trump on June 27. His hoarse-sounding, shaky performance at the debate raised concerns over his age and mental acuity to serve another term in the White House.
Now, it has come to light that former US President Barack Obama and ex-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a longtime Biden ally, have privately expressed concerns about the 81-year-old President's chances to defeat Trump and the future of his 2024 campaign. Neither of them is sure about what to do as Democrats stand divided over the crisis, according to a CNN report.
Infighting among Democrats over Biden
At least 17 congressional Democrats so far have called for Biden to drop out and allow the party to pick another standard-bearer, including some who announced their positions after the news conference on Thursday night. Democrats are worried that Biden's low public approval ratings and growing concerns that he is too old for the job could cause them to lose seats in the House and Senate, leaving them with no grip on power should Trump win the White House.
Biden's desperate attempts to assuage doubters that he is still competent enough to serve did not go well, as he referred to his vice president, Kamala Harris, as "Vice President Trump" hours after he introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as "President Putin" at the NATO summit, which drew gasps from the crowd.
"We must put forward the strongest candidate possible to confront the threat posed by Trump's promised MAGA authoritarianism. I no longer believe that is Joe Biden," said Representative Jim Himes of Connecticut, who called on the president to end his campaign after the news conference. A senior campaign official who spoke on condition of anonymity called the news conference the "worst of all worlds".
What are Obama and Pelosi's positions?
Democrats are begging Obama or Pelosi in an attempt to end the division so they can get back to defeating Trump, as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer doesn’t have the trust of Biden and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries doesn’t have the depth of relationship to deliver the message. More than a dozen members of the US Congress spoke to CNN, many of whom feel Biden's candidacy is nearing an end.
Many of Pelosi’s colleagues are hoping that she can bring an end to the ongoing turmoil. Pelosi recently said Biden must decide quickly whether to stay in the 2024 White House race while declining to say definitively that she wanted him to run. Pelosi's remarks, which ignored Biden's repeated insistence that he is staying in the race, suggested he could face a fresh wave of calls from fellow Democrats to exit the race.
On the other hand, Obama did not make any public comment for two weeks, since saying, "Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know" immediately after the June 27 presidential debate, opting not to take a position. “They are watching and waiting for President Biden to reach a decision on his own,” one longtime Democrat close to Obama and Pelosi said.
So far, he has not committed to having that role in the turmoil over whether Biden should remain the nominee, what happens if he stays, or what happens if he changes course and decides to go. However, the future of Biden's campaign is expected to have Obama's influence due to his reputation as the unifier who can steer the direction of the Democratic Party. Many Democrats believe that if Obama and Pelosi have any different views on Biden's candidature, they should express them clearly before more harm is done four months before the election.
The CNN report also says Obama’s deepening skepticism about his friend’s ability to win re-election is one of the worst-kept secrets in Washington. Obama is also close with Hollywood star George Clooney, who recently withdrew support for Biden's campaign and called for him to step down as he was "not the same man as in 2020". The strongly-worded statement by Clooney led some to suggest that Obama was behind it.
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