Joe Biden’s campaign encountered increased pressure on Thursday, as concerns from Barack Obama about the presidential election emerged, along with a somber mood among Democrats and polls indicating that Donald Trump was gaining a lead.
Several Democrats depicted a bleak outlook. A senior party official told a private news outlet that many within the party viewed Biden’s stepping down as “inevitable.” Polling on Thursday by a private news outlet’s US partner showed Biden trailing Trump by five points, the widest margin recorded in this campaign.
Biden’s campaign dismissed reports of high-level Democratic concern as “baseless,” insisting he would remain the nominee. However, the Washington Post reported that Obama had privately expressed doubts about Biden’s chances. Spokespeople for the former president declined to comment.
Reports surfaced that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and senior Democrats Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer had advised Biden to reconsider his candidacy for the party’s benefit. All parties involved denied these reports. Nonetheless, a senior Democratic source told a private news outlet that the mood in Washington was grim, adding, “We are all waiting for the inevitable decision.”
Democratic Congressman Adam Smith from Washington state shared a similarly pessimistic view. When asked by BBC Radio 4’s The World Tonight if the party was nearing the end of Biden’s candidacy, he responded, “That is my sense. I mean, I don’t know. But without question, I think that is the direction that this is heading right now.”
Biden has had a challenging few weeks following a poor performance in the first presidential debate late last month. He is currently in isolation in Delaware, recovering from a COVID-19 infection.
In contrast, Donald Trump officially accepted his party’s presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Thursday evening. He delivered a confident speech, his first since surviving an assassination attempt. Delegates and supporters at the convention have been in high spirits all week.
Despite the pressure, Biden has maintained a defiant stance, asserting his position as the party’s candidate. He continues to enjoy public support from many politicians, including members of the influential Congressional Black Caucus.
Schumer and Jeffries reportedly told Biden last week that their congressional colleagues were “concerned” that his struggles could affect their own re-election chances. Schumer dismissed the reports as “idle speculation,” while Jeffries referred to his conversation with Biden as “private.”
CNN reported that Pelosi had informed Biden that polls showed he could not win. She later criticized the reporting as a “feeding frenzy” but did not deny that a conversation had taken place.
Congressman Jamie Raskin from Maryland wrote to Biden, comparing him to a baseball pitcher at the end of his career, saying there was “no shame” in retiring “to the overflowing appreciation of the crowd when your arm is tired out.”
TJ Ducklo, a senior adviser for Biden’s campaign, condemned reports of concern from party leaders as “baseless conjecture from anonymous sources.” “Joe Biden is his party’s nominee,” he wrote on X. “He’s running for re-election.”
Deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks stated that Biden was “not wavering on anything. The president has made his decision. I don’t want to be rude, but I don’t know how many more times we can answer that.”
Presidential doctor Kevin O’Connor reported that Biden has mild upper respiratory symptoms associated with COVID-19 but does not have a fever. The White House announced that he is expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after his arrival in the US on Wednesday.
A private news outlet provided coverage of the ongoing developments, highlighting the internal dynamics and pressures within the Democratic Party as the election campaign progresses.
