Biden reportedly considers stepping down as polls show him losing key states

As Democrats appear to distance themselves from Joe Biden’s re-election campaign and open the door to other possibilities, the president has reportedly told a close ally that he is reconsidering whether to stay in the race — the strongest indicator yet that he may drop out after his disastrous performance in last week’s debate.

The New York Times It was reported Wednesday that Biden had told his ally over the past 24 hours that he feared his candidacy was in dire straits after the debate and that he would essentially concede the race if he failed to salvage his image.

“He knows that if there are two more events like this, we will be in a different situation,” the ally reportedly said. Two events to come — an interview with ABC airing Friday and two campaign stops in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin over the weekend – are critical to his ability to stay in the race, the unnamed source told the Times.

CNN confirmed the coverage in its own report Wednesday, also citing an unnamed ally. (It’s unclear whether this is the same ally cited by The New York Times.) If “the polls collapse, the fundraising dries up and the interviews go badly,” Biden will have to reconsider his candidacy, the ally said. “He’s not reckless.”

“He said, ‘I’ve done way too much foreign policy,’” the ally reportedly continued, berating himself for his poor performance in the debate. “He said to me, ‘I’ve done too much. I’ve traveled too much. I’ve been back and forth too much. I’ve changed my time too much. I had a cold. It was a mistake.”

According to TimesThe ally stressed that Biden was still engaged in the re-election fight, while White House spokesman Andrew Bates said the report that Biden was considering withdrawing was “absolutely false.” PolicyBiden also denied the reports during a campaign call, saying: “Let me say this as clearly as I can, as simply and directly as I can: I am running… Nobody is pushing me to leave. I am not leaving.”

However, a senior adviser said The New York Times that Biden is “well aware of the political challenge he faces,” potentially confirming the ally’s report.

Meanwhile, a number of other indicators appear to show that the writing is on the wall for Biden’s campaign. According to his timeline, the same day as the Times Biden reportedly had lunch with Vice President Kamala Harris, a front-runner to replace him. At the same time, White House chief of staff Jeff Zients held a conference call with all staff.

Democratic congressional leaders are reportedly not asking their supporters to rally behind Biden, while a group of Democrats is circulating a letter demanding his resignation, which has not yet been released.

In the media, prominent Democrats are expressing doubts about his viability – on Tuesday, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) said MSNBC It is a “legitimate question” to ask whether Biden is fit for the job.

In a separate interview, former House Democratic Whip Jim Clyburn (R-South Carolina) said: MSNBC that he “would support (Kamala Harris) if (Biden) were to step down.” He added CNN that he would support a “mini-primary” to choose a new candidate before the Democratic National Convention in August.

The comments stand in stark contrast to Pelosi and other Democrats’ staunch defense of former California Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) after reports raised questions about her declining health and ability to serve last year, when Democrats rebuked those who called for her to resign.

In fact, House Democrat Lloyd Doggett of Texas issued a statement yesterday directly calling on Biden to resign. Doggett said Biden should follow through on his promise to be a “transition man” and step aside to allow a “new generation of leaders” to take the helm.

Polls show Biden has lost ground since the debate. Puck According to a poll by a major Democratic firm, Biden is losing ground in states like New Hampshire, Virginia and New Mexico that were previously uncompetitive and could now swing to Donald Trump. At the same time, the poll found that Harris is now, for the first time, doing better in head-to-head matches against Trump than Biden.

National polls show Biden trailing Trump by significant margins. New York Times/A Siena College poll released Wednesday found Trump leading Biden 49 to 41 percent among registered voters — the largest lead for Trump since Times has been recording since 2015. A Suffolk University/USA TODAY One poll found Biden trailing by 3 percent and an SSRS poll for CNN Trump leads Biden by 6 percent.

More and more Democrats believe another candidate would do better. CNN A poll found that 56% of Democrats believe replacing Biden would increase their chances of winning, while Suffolk/USA Today A poll found that 41 percent of Democrats believe he should be replaced.

The American left has been warning for months that Biden’s chances are slim because of his support for Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Biden’s muddled and sometimes incoherent debate performance, however, appears to have given the political establishment a boost to come around to that idea.

Experts say it’s not too late to replace him, and that the Democratic National Committee has the ability to do so if he decides to resign. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland) appeared to hint that some steps may already be underway to prepare for that eventuality in an interview with MSNBCChris Hayes Tuesday.

“There’s one question that everyone in the Democratic Party is asking, and I know it’s true for President Biden, Vice President Harris, my friend Lloyd Doggett and everyone in the House and the Senate … and that’s, ‘How do we defeat Donald Trump?’” Raskin said.

“I know this is a moving target. It has to happen quickly,” Raskin continued. “But I can assure you, Chris Hayes, that there will be a massive unity and focus on this task when we get to the end of this process. And it’s happening very quickly, I think.”