Washington: Under-fire US President Joe Biden is expected to make a major announcement on his re-election bid in the upcoming presidential elections, as he faces intense pressure from several of his fellow Democrats to withdraw from the race following his disastrous debate performance, his poor health, and an assassination attempt on his Republican rival Donald Trump. He is likely to make the address after the Republican National Convention.
The 81-year-old President appeared to have suffered a further blow as his Democrat predecessor Barack Obama told allies in recent days that his path to victory has greatly diminished and he thought Biden should seriously consider the viability of his candidacy, the Washington Post reported on Thursday citing multiple officials. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a staunch Biden ally, privately warned him that Democrats risk losing the House if he did not step away from the race.
Pelosi also showed Biden polling that he likely can't defeat Republican Trump, according to people familiar with the matter who insisted on anonymity to discuss it. With less than four months to the presidential elections, Democrats are hard-pressed and have been appealing to Biden to withdraw, despite his being adamant about staying. Biden is currently spending time in isolation in Delaware after testing positive for COVID-19.
In response to questions from journalists over the last few weeks, the embattled Democratic president has given some clues as to what could make him step aside - such as hard data and divine intervention - especially as the calls from his own party to end his candidacy continue unabated.
'Biden has begun to accept the idea of dropping out'
Nearly two dozen Democrats, including influential House Representative Adam Schiff, have publicly called on Biden to step down and allow another standard-bearer for the upcoming elections. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries are also sending signals of concern that has engulfed the Democratic Party in this political crisis.
If Democrats are seriously preparing the extraordinary step of replacing Biden and shifting Vice President Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket, this weekend will be critical to changing the president's mind, other people familiar with the private conversations said. The emergency comes ahead of the Democratic National Committee planning for a virtual vote to formally make Biden its nominee in the first week of August.
According to a report by the New York Times, several people close to President Biden said on Thursday that they believe he has begun to accept the idea that he may not be able to win in November and may have to drop out of the race, bowing to the growing demands of many anxious members of his party. "The New York Times reporting is absolutely wrong," Biden campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond told MSNBC. "The president has said that he is running and it's the end of story."
Among Democrats nationwide, nearly two-thirds say Biden should step aside and let his party nominate a different candidate, according to an AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll published this week. That sharply undercuts Biden's post-debate claim that “average Democrats” are still with him even if some “big names” are turning on him.
Biden's campaign rebuffs reports of opting out of race
However, the Biden campaign strongly refuted any move by him to drop out of the race or make a transition for Vice President Kamala Harris, his running mate. "Our campaign is not working through any scenarios where President Biden is not at the top of the ticket. He is and will be the Democratic nominee. The president has said it several times: he’s staying in this race," said Quentin Fulks, principal deputy campaign manager for the Biden-Harris campaign.
As recently as Wednesday, the President vowed "I am all in" the 2024 race. Democratic Senator John Hickenlooper of Colorado said he believed that Biden was working toward a decision on whether to stay in the presidential race and would opt for what is good for the country. "There is no shame in taking a well-deserved bow to the overflowing appreciation of the crowd," said US Representative Jamie Reskin, who led the second House of Representatives impeachment case against Donald Trump in 2021.
Biden fared very poorly in the June 27 debate against Trump, the Republican Party's candidate against him. Following the failed assassination bid against Trump and his defiance, the popularity of Trump has soared in recent days and the latest polls say Biden is trailing behind his Republican rival. To make matters worse, Biden's latest public gaffes and his recent COVID-19 diagnosis have further fuelled concerns among Democrats.
Kamala Harris looking for her VP options: Report
Meanwhile, a new poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about 6 in 10 Democrats believe Kamala Harris would do a good job in the top slot. About 2 in 10 Democrats don't believe she would, and another 2 in 10 say they don't know enough to say. Another poll showed an overwhelming majority of Democrats say they approve of Vice President Harris replacing Biden atop the ticket if he decides to step aside. The Economist/YouGov survey showed 79 per cent of Democrats supporting Harris as the party's nominee.
Democrats have pushed for Harris for Biden's replacement, while she on her part has remained loyal to the President. Harris' favorability rating is similar to Biden's, but the share of Americans who have an unfavourable opinion of her is somewhat lower. The poll showed that about 4 in 10 US adults have a favourable opinion of Harris, while about half have an unfavourable opinion. The view is more negative of Biden - 6 in 10.
According to The Hill, Vice President Kamala Harris has started looking for options for her running mate. The three being talked about right now are Senator Mark Kelly, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. Harris is more popular among Black Americans than she is among white or Hispanic adults.
(with inputs from agencies)
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