President Joe Biden is expected to bow out of the presidential race as early as this weekend due to mounting pressure from close friends and congressional leaders, several top Democrats told Axios.
Privately, Biden has acknowledged that the mounting pressure, poor polling numbers, and relentless scrutiny have made it impossible for him to continue his campaign, according to a Democratic source. Party leaders, friends, and donors agree that Biden's chances of winning are slim, and they believe he cannot alter public perceptions about his age and mental sharpness.
Biden is being warned that staying in the race could lead to a landslide victory for former President Trump, which would erase Biden’s legacy and crush Democrats’ hopes in November. The report explains that the pressure for him to step aside has become unbearable, especially in recent days.
Democrats also expect post-Republican National Convention polls to predict a potential blowout, threatening not only the presidency but also Democratic seats in Congress. “His choice is to be one of history’s heroes or ensure there’ll never be a Biden presidential library,” one of the president’s close friends told Axios. “I pray he does the right thing. He’s headed that way.”
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An AP poll released yesterday shows that nearly two-thirds of Democrats want Biden to withdraw from the race; the poll has sent shockwaves through the White House and Congress.
Top Democrats have been calling on him to drop out, including Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and even Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). A coordinated and relentless pressure campaign is pushing President Biden to consider dropping out.
Schumer advised him to step aside during a meeting in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Saturday. Pelosi warned him that his candidacy could jeopardize Democrats' chances of regaining the House and expressed concerns over donations drying up. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries delivered a similar message.
"I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November,” Schiff said earlier this week.
Former President Barack Obama's silence and criticism from his former aides have also weighed heavily. Reports suggest that Biden's closest advisors, including those who initially urged him to continue after a disastrous debate three weeks ago, now believe it's a matter of when, not if, he announces he won't run.
The Biden-Harris campaign still insists that Biden isn’t dropping out. "If the facts matter — and they should — here is one: President Biden is the Democratic nominee, and he is going to win this November."
There have been reports that Biden was considering dropping out, which his inner circle fervently denied.
Democratic insiders, despite their deep respect and admiration for Biden, had hoped to avoid the current situation. Initially, there was a desire to let Biden gracefully step aside rather than pressuring him out. However, Biden’s reluctance to heed these signals has led to more public calls for him to drop out, with some resorting to shaming tactics to encourage his withdrawal.
Because he has already won the necessary delegates to win the nomination, the decision to withdraw must be his own, on his terms.
Biden’s campaign is pushing back against all the recent reports he’s considering dropping out.
"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," Biden principal deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks said Thursday morning.
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