U.S. President Joe Biden takes the stage at the Economic Summit with U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV) on July 16, 2024 in Henderson, Nevada, United States.
Tom Brenner | Reuters
President Joe Biden quarantined at his beach house in Rehoboth, Del., on Thursday after testing positive for the coronavirus and facing new pressure from leading Democrats to withdraw from a meeting with former President Donald Trump. ·Trump’s 2024 election campaign.
Biden, who for weeks has flatly resisted calls to step down and allow another nominee to replace him, is said to be more willing to listen to top Democrats about the risks of staying in the race. He has also reportedly asked advisers in recent days whether he believes his Vice President, Kamala Harris, can defeat Trump in November.
“We are very close to the end,” a person close to Biden told NBC News.
The pressure on Biden, 81, stems from concerns that Democrats will lose not only the White House but the party’s majority in the Senate if he goes ahead with the nomination after a disastrous June 27 debate. and ultimately led to the demise of the Democratic Party.
Former President Barack Obama privately expressed concerns to Democrats about the viability of Biden’s candidacy, according to reports from The Associated Press and The Washington Post.
Biden served as Obama’s two-term vice president, and the 44th president still has unparalleled influence within the Democratic Party.
Two Democratic leaders in Congress — Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries — have told Biden in recent days that his presence in the party could cost them Majorities in both houses of Congress.
Colorado Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper told Reuters late on Wednesday that Biden was “working hard” to make decisions that “put country first.” Hickenlooper stopped short of explicitly calling on Biden to withdraw, saying it was “his decision.”
“But there are certainly growing signs that I think it’s in the best interest of the country,” the senator said.
California Rep. Adam Schiff, the Democratic nominee for one of the state’s two Senate seats, publicly called on Biden to drop out of the race on Wednesday.
Schiff and Hickenlooper joined about 20 other Democrats in Congress in making similar public calls.
Schiff is close to former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California. CNN reported Thursday morning that Pelosi recently told Biden that he could not defeat Trump and that if he insisted on staying in the race, he might lose the Democrats’ chance to win the House majority.
Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, who has so far fully supported Biden’s plan to stay in the race, told NBC News on Thursday that he had heard “increasing concerns” from voters in the state this week.
“I’ve talked to a lot of people in our state since the debate and they’re concerned,” Casey said. “But I think my position is very clear, I think the president will do what he’s been doing, That’s putting the country’s best interests first.”
The Biden campaign’s public response to growing concerns has not changed, with top staff remaining staunchly opposed to the president’s withdrawal.
“Our campaign cannot address any situation where President Biden is not at the top of the ballot,” lead deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks told reporters in Milwaukee on Thursday.
“He is and will always be the Democratic nominee,” Fulks said.
