
Family members of President Joe Biden have talked about possible ways to end his candidacy, according to two individuals with knowledge of the conversations.
Overall, these people said, the talks have been about how any exit strategy should position the party to defeat former President Donald Trump while also being commensurate with the more than five decades that Biden has served the nation in elected office, should he choose to do so, as some of his closest allies now feel he will.
Family members of Biden have explicitly talked about how he would want to withdraw from the race for reelection at his own discretion and with a well-thought-out strategy in place. The individuals with knowledge of the discussions stated that the campaign’s effects on his family, health, and national stability are among the main topics of conversation.
It is an incredible revelation that Biden is thinking about leaving the party, let alone that his family is plotting an escape, given that he has consistently declared he would not give up his position as the party’s presumed nominee.
However, after a disastrous debate three weeks ago, worries have grown among party leaders, funders, and even officials involved in his reelection campaign with each passing day. Democrats are also observing Republicans unite behind Trump, who just this Thursday night accepted his party’s nomination after escaping an attempted murder.
Andrew Bates, the White House spokesperson, refuted reports that the family is having such exit talks.
He declared, “That is not happening, period.” “Those claiming otherwise are not speaking for him, his family, or his team, and they will be shown to be incorrect. Hold onto your faith.”
Speaking on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Friday, Biden’s campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon claimed that while there has been some “slippage,” there has only been “a small movement” and that Biden is “absolutely” still in the race.
In an interview, Biden’s longtime advisor and former White House chief of staff, Ron Klain, stated that he is aware of both public and private requests for him to withdraw from the race.
Klain, who just spoke with Biden, expressed her belief that the latter is experiencing pressure. “Leave him in,” I said.
According to Klain, it is illogical to disregard Biden. He claimed that certain members of his party undervalue the fact that Biden is the only person to have defeated Trump and underestimate him at their own risk.
Biden and those closest to him have been betrayed by attempts to remove him, which they regard as deceptive and impolite. Because of the way that people they thought were friends have treated the president, the family is inconsolable and going through the phases of grief and rage.
An ally of Biden stated, “If this was what they desired, there was a far more respectful way to proceed” “This is not how one should treat a public servant who has contributed greatly to this nation.”
According to a source close to the reelection campaign, senior staff members have also engaged in discussions over how to devise a suitable plan for Biden to step down, in addition to the president’s family. Bates disputed the existence of these conversations as well.
First wife Jill Biden, her son Hunter, and his sister Valerie Owens, along with a few close aides who have been with him for a long time, have been the main sources of support for Biden during these debates.
After testing positive for COVID on Wednesday, Biden was placed on leave and has been the subject of heated discussions on his political future while he remains at his Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, home.
Per a person familiar with the calls, several of Biden’s closest staffers were phoning reliable allies on Thursday to gauge their perception of the senator’s political standing.
At this point, a Democratic lawmaker called Biden “reflective.” According to a third source close to Biden, the president is “fighting for his life” in politics.
Some allies are beginning to anticipate that, should Biden leave, it might happen soon. However, they also advise him to remember that he still has the final say and that he is not predisposed to give up even in the face of overwhelming difficulty.
A source close to the Bidens stated, “Not really sure what we’re going to do tomorrow,” in reference to the likelihood that an announcement is on the horizon.
Biden has said since the debate that he might think about withdrawing from the race if there was no way for him to win, but he is still sensitive to the increasing pressure from his own party.
Regarding Biden’s withdrawal from the race, a second source close to the reelection campaign stated, “I think it’s inevitable.”
As NBC News and other sources reported that Biden had exhibited some signs of easing off on his determination to stay the nominee, rumors and reports started to circulate, some of which the president’s aides categorically refuted. Among these were conjectures on the possible departure date, if Biden would support Vice President Kamala Harris right away, and who was considered to be her vice presidential running mate.
Among the rumors was that Biden’s farewell address was being written by veteran historian and wordsmith Jon Meacham.
Meacham dismissed the story.
He declared, “The report is completely untrue.”
Democratic strategists claim that throughout the chaos, the Biden team distributed talking points to Democrats, saying things like, “Today, President Biden did not speak with the leaders of Congress.” The president, who received 14 million votes in the Democratic primaries, is the nominee of his party. That won’t change unless he wins the reelection that he is running for.
This week, Biden kept in touch with supporters to find out how they felt despite the fact that many in his own party were turning against him.
The civil rights activist and MSNBC anchor Rev. Al Sharpton was called by Biden on Monday, and he informed him, “With all the rumors that I’m leaving, I’m not.”
“I will back any decision you make,” Sharpton claimed to have assured the president.
In an interview on Thursday, Sharpton stated that as Biden considers his political future, he “has to think of” legacy. Joe Biden is one person who has the potential to return. I’m not sure whether he wants to or not.
Some in Biden’s team had believed he would be able to withstand the deluge of calls for him to step down, believing that the nation’s attention would be diverted from discussing whether and when he may abandon his campaign by news events like the Republican National Convention. However, the agitation surrounding Biden was not lessened by the attempted assassination of Trump on Saturday. Democrats have, if anything, increased their pressure since then.
Democrats’ concern that Biden’s candidacy may deny them the opportunity to seize control of the House as well as the Senate and the White House is a significant contributing element to the pressure they are putting on him in private. This clarifies why prominent politicians have urged Biden to reevaluate his choice to continue running for office.
The treasurer of the House Majority PAC, the primary super PAC backing Democratic candidates for the House, Brian Wolff, declared that “the House is on the brink.” “That is not fair to these candidates.”
According to Wolff, while Biden weighs his options, Democratic incumbents and challengers in competitive races cannot take the chance of fracturing their own voter coalitions by openly supporting one candidate over another.
He declared, “They cannot afford to offend either the base that supports Biden or the base that wants someone else.”