According to NBC News, members of President Joe Biden's family have deliberated on the potential ramifications of his withdrawal from the campaign, as two individuals familiar with these discussions have reported.
The consensus among those involved in these conversations is that any exit strategy — if Biden opts to pursue it, as some of his closest allies are starting to believe he might — should ensure that the Democratic Party is well-positioned to defeat former President Donald Trump. Additionally, the plan should honor Biden's over five decades of service to the nation in elected office, the sources indicated.
Biden’s family members have specifically discussed how he would want to end his re-election bid on his own timing and with a carefully calculated plan in place. Considerations about the impact of the campaign on his health, his family and the stability of the country are among those at the forefront of the discussions, the people familiar with the discussions said.
The prospect of Biden’s considering stepping aside, much less that his family is gaming out a possible exit plan, is an extraordinary development that comes after he has repeatedly said he would not relinquish his position as the presumptive nominee of the party.
Senior staff members and Biden's family, including First Lady Jill Biden, his son Hunter, and his sister Valerie Owens, are all reportedly part of the discussions. These talks have intensified as Biden remains in Rehoboth Beach, Del. after Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday.
Close aides have been gauging Biden’s political standing through calls to trusted allies. Descriptions of Biden's current state vary, with one Democratic lawmaker calling him “reflective” and another person close to him saying he's "fighting for his life" politically.
It's extremely difficult to know what to make of these reports. This week, reports surfaced that Joe Biden was "receptive" to calls to drop out. Team Biden denied those reports. Earlier this month, similar reports insisted that Biden was considering dropping out.
"President Biden has told a key ally that he knows he may not be able to salvage his candidacy if he cannot convince the public in the coming days that he is up for the job after a disastrous debate performance last week," the New York Times reported on July 3.
CNN reported the same day that Biden "has privately acknowledged that the next stretch of days are critical to whether he can save his reelection bid for president, making clear to an ally Tuesday that he understands what would prompt him to accept: 'It’s just not working.'"
The Biden family had a pow-wow on the Saturday immediately following the presidential debate that sent Biden's campaign into a death spiral to discuss the future of his re-election campaign. Bill O'Reilly reported at the time that during that meeting, "the decision has been made that the President will quit the campaign."
That report turned out to be false as well because Biden didn't drop out. The White House is also denying this new report that Biden was discussing an exit strategy with his family.
"That is not happening, period," White House spokesman Andrew Bates said. "The individuals making those claims are not speaking for his family or his team — and they will be proven wrong. Keep the faith."
Ron Klain, Biden’s former White House chief of staff and an adviser to him for decades, said in an interview that Biden is hearing the public and private calls for him to exit the race.
“I think he’s feeling the pressure,” said Klain, who has spoken to Biden recently. “I want him to stay in.”
Klain’s take is that it makes no sense for Biden to be pushed aside. He said some in his party underestimate Trump at their own peril and undervalue the fact that Biden is the only one who has beaten him before.
Biden and the people closest to him have felt burned by efforts to push him out that they see as backhanded and disrespectful. The family is distraught and moving through the stages of anger and grief over how people they perceived to be friends have treated the president.
“There was a much more dignified way to do this if this is what they wanted,” a Biden ally said. “This is no way to treat a public servant who has done a lot for this country.”
I think the bottom line here is that we won't know for sure until it happens. It's starting to feel more like a waiting game to me.
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