After weeks of mounting pressure on President Joe Biden to step aside, top Democrats reportedly believe he will leave the race.
On Thursday, Axios’ Jim Vandehei and Mike Allen wrote, “Several top Democrats privately tell us the rising pressure of party congressional leaders and close friends will persuade President Biden to decide to drop out of the presidential race, as soon as this weekend.”
“Why it matters: The 81-year-old president, now self-isolating with COVID, remains publicly dug in. But privately he’s resigned to mounting pressure, bad polls, and untenable scrutiny making it impossible to continue his campaign, the Democrats tell us,” they added.
The article explained the message from “leaders of his party, his friends and key donors” is that they “believe he can’t win, can’t change public perceptions of his age and acuity, and can’t deliver congressional majorities.”
Additionally, the president is being warned that staying in the race could lead to former President Donald Trump winning in November in a landslide and erasing his legacy as he lifts down-ballot Republicans to victory as well.
“Democrats fully expect polls after the Republican National Convention to show a possible blowout that could bring down Democrats in Congress, too,” Vandehei and Allen explained.
One of Biden’s friends told Axios, “His choice is to be one of history’s heroes, or to be sure of the fact that there’ll never be a Biden presidential library.”
“I pray that he does the right thing. He’s headed that way,” he added.
The report comes after an Associated Press/AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll released on Wednesday, nearly two-thirds of Democrats want Biden to end his re-election bid.
Meanwhile, CNN reported former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) “privately told [Biden] in a recent conversation that polling shows that the president cannot defeat Donald Trump and that Biden could destroy Democrats’ chances of winning the House in November if he continues seeking a second term, according to four sources briefed on the call.”
“The president responded by pushing back, telling Pelosi he has seen polls that indicate he can win, one source said. Another one of the sources described Biden as getting defensive about the polls. At one point, Pelosi asked Mike Donilon, Biden’s longtime adviser, to get on the line to talk over the data,” the article continued.
Also on Wednesday, ABC News reported Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) met with Biden and made “the case it would be best if Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race.”
A spokesperson for Schumer told the network, “Unless ABC’s source is Chuck Schumer or President Joe Biden the reporting is idle speculation. Leader Schumer conveyed the views of his caucus directly to President Biden on Saturday.”
Axios notes Democrats “were hoping to avoid this. They love and respect Biden and appreciate his historic accomplishments.” However, it added, “He wouldn’t take the hints, loud as they got. So it’s come to this. ‘He’s forcing people who like him and respect him to resort to trying to shame him,’ a well-known Democrat close to the West Wing told us.”
Despite all the pressure, the outlet points out only Biden can decide to drop out of the race and no one can force him to.
