US President Joe Biden is expected to make a major announcement on his re-election campaign, according to media reports, with several senior Democratic leaders suggesting he withdraw from the race following his disastrous debate performance, a failed assassination attempt on his rival Donald Trump, his poor health and falling poll numbers.
As the New York Times reports, “Several people close to President Biden said on Thursday that they believed he had begun to accept the idea that he might not be able to win in November and that he might have to drop out of the race, bowing to growing demands from many concerned members of his party.”
Biden, 81, is spending time in isolation at his Delaware residence after testing positive for Covid-19. Media reports say top Democratic Party leaders, including former President Barack Obama, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, have asked him to quit the presidential race, in the absence of which the party risks losing the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives.
“People close to top Democrats said on Thursday that it now looks like it’s a matter of when — not if — Biden drops out of the presidential race. Over the past day or two, former President Barack Obama has told friends that Biden’s path to victory is narrow, according to people familiar with the calls,” the NYT report said.
The Washington Post reported Thursday night that Pelosi has stepped up her behind-the-scenes role in persuading the president to drop out of the campaign, after Obama said he had little chance of winning.
According to The Hill, Vice President Kamala Harris has begun looking at options for her running mate. The three people being talked about right now are Senator Mark Kelly, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper.
Most media reports said Biden would most likely announce his re-election after the conclusion of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
“One person close to him warned that the president has not made up his mind to drop out of the race, even after three weeks of insisting that almost nothing could force him out. But another said ‘reality is setting in’, and it would not be a surprise if Mr Biden soon announces his support for Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement,” NYT reported. PTI LKJ SCY SCY
