President Joe Biden is under increasing pressure from Democrats to step aside and create room for a new Democratic presidential nominee. NBC News reported that the Biden family and those closest to him are in discussions about his exit plan for the 2024 presidential race.
According to the report, Biden’s allies said they believe the president will take that step with a “carefully calculated plan in place” that would put Democrats in the best position to beat the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, while also noting Biden’s five decades of serving in elected office.
However, Biden has repeatedly said he will not quit the race.
His campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillion spoke Friday, July 19, on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program.
“Look, absolutely the president’s in this race,” Dillion said. “You’ve heard him say that time and time again. And I think we saw on display last night exactly why, because Donald Trump is not going to offer anything new to the American people. He’s the same person he was in 2020. He’s the same person he was at the debate stage. He’s the same person he is that’s about himself, not about the American people and Joe Biden is more committed than ever to beat Donald Trump.”
Dillion acknowledged it’s been a tough couple of weeks for the campaign since Biden and Trump debated on June 27 when Biden stumbled over his words. Since the debate, Biden has explained his performance wasn’t up to par because he was sick with a cold and the night was a “one-off.”
“I’ve been doing this a long time,” Biden said in an interview with NBC News on July 15. “The idea that I’m the old guy, I am. I’m old. But I’m only three years older than Trump, number one. And number two, my mental acuity has been pretty damn good. I’ve gotten more done than any president has in a long, long time in three and a half years.”
On Friday, calls grew for Biden to drop out of the race.
Four House Democrats, Reps. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., Marc Veasey, D-Texas, Jared Huffman, D-Calif., and Jesús “Chuy” García, D-Ill., issued a joint statement calling on the president to exit the race.
“Mr. President, with great admiration for you personally, sincere respect for your decades of public service and patriotic leadership, and deep appreciation for everything we have accomplished together during your presidency, it is now time for you to pass the torch to a new generation of Democratic leaders,” the statement said.
At the time of this report, 27 congressional Democrats have called on Biden to step aside.
A Democratic group is working to take that message directly to Biden in the coming days, working to release a new ad on MSNBC and “Morning Joe.”
The ad from Pass the Torch is scheduled to begin airing Monday, July 22, in the Washington and Delaware region where Biden is currently isolating after a COVID-19 diagnosis.
According to reports, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have both privately told President Biden to drop out.
Several additional reports have surfaced on Firday, indicating Biden will make a major announcement regarding his political future this weekend. The Democratic National Convention begins on Aug. 19.
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