Unlock US Election Countdown newsletter for free
Stories that matter about money and politics in the race for the White House
Joe Biden has come under increasing pressure from senior Democrats to drop his re-election bid amid growing panic in the party that he will lose the US presidency to Donald Trump and boost Republicans’ chances in the congressional race.
Former President Barack Obama has told allies that Biden’s path to victory has narrowed considerably and he should reconsider whether he can win, The Washington Post reported Thursday.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Biden she was pessimistic about his chances, CNN reported.
A spokesman for Pelosi said the reports misrepresented any conversations she may have had. Obama’s office declined to comment. A person familiar with his thinking said Obama saw himself as a “mentor and advisor,” believed Biden was an “exceptional president” and was “protected both personally and by the strong and historic achievements of the Biden administration.”
As some Democratic bigwigs step up the pressure in private, more than 20 of the party’s lawmakers have resorted to publicly calling for Biden to step down.
Adam Schiff, a senior member of the House of Representatives, called on the 81-year-old president to “pass the torch,” citing “serious concerns” about whether Biden could defeat Trump in November.
One Democratic House lawmaker said the crisis, which began last month with Biden’s disastrous performance in a debate with Trump, had reached a “tipping point.” “I don’t understand how it will survive,” the lawmaker added.
With speculation about his future fury, Biden has isolated himself with Covid-19 at his home in Delaware.
“Our campaign is not working through any scenario where President Biden is not in first place,” claimed Biden campaign spokesman Quentin Fulks. “He is and will be the candidate of the Democrats. He’s staying in this race.”
Biden trails Trump in nearly every national and swing poll, including Thursday’s Emerson College polls of seven swing states and the U.S. as a whole.
An Associated Press poll released Wednesday found that nearly two-thirds of Democratic voters wanted the president to resign.
PredictIt, an online prediction market, showed the odds that Biden would be the Democratic Party’s nominee plummeted, while the odds that Vice President Kamala Harris would be the party’s nominee rose sharply.
Several influential donors and staff said they expected Biden to step down. “Ninety percent of it is gone in a few days,” said a person who has been in contact with several Democratic representatives in Congress.
“I’m still talking to donors, they feel more encouraged, there’s momentum again. [A few days ago] it felt like it was dying. . . but in the last two days, people have been really energized,” said the donor who coordinated the effort to oust Biden.
Two influential Wall Street donors said they believe, but have no clear confirmation, that Biden’s resolve to stay in the race is waning and that reports of his illness may provide an excuse for him to drop out.
Both said Chuck Schumer, a close Biden ally and the top Democrat in the Senate, told the president the party risked losing the White House and the Senate if he remained in the race.
“We made it clear. [Schumer] and Jeffries that the money is drying up unless there is quick change,” said one donor, also referring to Hakeem Jeffries, the top Democrat in the House of Representatives.
A spokesman for Schumer did not respond to a request for comment.
Express your opinion
Joe Biden vs Donald Trump: tell us how the 2024 US election will affect you