Washington, DC, July 18 :
Following a brief trip to Las Vegas due to a positive COVID-19 test, President Joe Biden will return to Delaware on Wednesday night. He will then face one of the most consequential decisions of his lengthy political career: the growing chorus of voices within his party urging him to step down from the 2024 presidential candidacy.
The Democratic Party has been building up its dissatisfaction and worry about Biden's poor performance in the Atlanta debate for almost three weeks, and now he finds himself in an even more difficult situation. The mood in the Oval Office and the Biden campaign has changed dramatically in the past several days, according to numerous Democratic sources who talked with CNN.
An anonymous top Democratic aide told CNN, "The private conversations with the Hill are continuing." The adviser wished to remain anonymous in order to maintain relations with the campaign and the White House. He's open and accommodating. Much less rebellious than he appears in public. After initially suggesting, 'Kamala can't win,' the advisor now asks, 'Do you believe Kamala can win?' He appears to be listening, but his landing spot is still uncertain. Some have speculated that Biden is rethinking his position on the 2024 race in light of the president's recent change in tone. At this pivotal point, Biden's campaign is coming under greater scrutiny as Democratic officials and contributors express their growing discomfort.
The Biden team has maintained its stance that the president is not considering dropping out of the race, regardless of these events. The president is reportedly not contemplating his candidacy, according to Biden campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz. "If the facts matter - and they should - here is one: President Biden is the Democratic nominee and he is going to win this November," Munoz said with conviction.
Recent reports indicate that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer had a substantial meeting with Biden over the weekend, further complicating the situation. Earlier on Wednesday, Jonathan Karl of ABC News claimed that Schumer had told Biden, in a private meeting at the president's beach residence in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, that the party might benefit from his dropping out of the presidential campaign.
According to a statement released by a Schumer spokeswoman in reaction to Karl's claim, the news is only idle speculation unless Senator Chuck Schumer or President Joe Biden is ABC's source. President Biden was informed of the caucus's opinions on Saturday by Leader Schumer. One thing that was noticeably missing from the statement was Schumer's signature line when discussing Biden's candidacy: "I'm with Joe."
Democrats see the president's secret meeting with Schumer and Biden as a watershed point in the continuing internal discussion on whether or not he would run for president again in 2024. Some have seen Schumer's one-on-one counsel to Biden as part of a larger, heated debate within the party over Biden's candidacy's potential.
Earlier on Wednesday, California senatorial candidate Adam Schiff (D) joined the increasing number of Democrats calling on Joe Biden to reevaluate his race for reelection. Following the latest murder attempt on former President Trump, Schiff became the first congressional Democrat to publicly demand that Biden step down from the race. The next several days will be pivotal in deciding how Biden will react to the growing pressure from his own party as he struggles with his political destiny. In the midst of the president's recent health problems and public performance, the White House and Biden's campaign must navigate the worries of Democratic leaders and contributors.
