WASHINGTON (TND) — Democrats skeptical of Joe Biden’s chances in the 2024 election are at an impasse with the president who has repeatedly vowed to stay in the race despite growing numbers of lawmakers calling on him to step down or given nonendorsements of his campaign.
Pressure on Biden has continued to pile up in the days since the debate with more lawmakers and donors calling on him to step down or casting doubt on his chances of winning. But the president, White House and his campaign have been adamant that he is staying on as the party’s nominee, creating an impasse with less than four months to go until Election Day.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who is still highly influential among the party, was the latest example of Democrats having concerns with Biden’s chances on Nov. 5. She is the most senior Democrat to suggest Biden may want to consider his decision to stay in the race.
“It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run,” she said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “We’re all encouraging him to make that decision. Because time is running short.”
Pelosi has said her comments on “Morning Joe” are being misrepresented but her appearance comes after Biden has already sent a letter to congressional Democrats challenging them to take him on at the Democratic convention and repeated statements that he would be staying in the race. Vulnerable lawmakers have also continued to come out against the president staying in the race or voiced concerns that he could drag down the rest of them to a down-ballot loss.
"It's gonna force the Democratic candidates on the ballot to distance themselves from Biden to just win and survive," said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center. "It's going to be a kind of solo journey for the next four months with donors and major backers withholding their support for him. The last remaining four months are his last stand and he pretty much may have to go it alone to protect his own Democratic members in Congress."
Lawmakers came back from the July 4 recess on Tuesday after his disastrous debate performance sparked an outcry for him to step down from the race for a younger candidate. Biden’s performance filled with stumbling sentences and lost trains of thought has exacerbated what was already one of the central issues with his candidacy in his advanced age of 81.
Democrats in both chambers held conference meetings for the first time since the debate, where Biden’s candidacy was a central issue. Lawmakers emerged from the meetings at an impasse with how to handle the nomination with some factions of the party wanting him to step aside and Biden being dead set on following through.
“Like I said before, I’m with Joe,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said multiple times in response to questions at his weekly press conference Tuesday afternoon.
House Democrats emerged from their meeting with a majority of them sticking with Biden but still having growing discontent about what will happen with the November election. Several have said that this week’s NATO summit in Washington will be a pivotal test for Biden.
“Right now, President Biden is the nominee, and we support the Democratic nominee that will beat Donald Trump,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., told reporters after the meeting. “Let’s see. Let’s see the press conference. Let’s see the campaign stops. Let’s see all of this, because all of it is going to be necessary.”
Several polls taken since the debate have found that the night piled onto age and mental fitness concerns for voters, even among Democrats and independents. He has lost ground to former President Donald Trump in several polls and several election forecasters have shifted several states’ ratings to Republicans.
A Suffolk University/USA Today poll released this week found 54% of registered voters think Biden should be replaced as the Democratic nominee. More than four out of 10 Democrats agreed with that sentiment, a stark contrast from the 12% of Trump supporters who said the same about Trump.
Cook Political Report shifted six Electoral College ratings toward Republicans on Tuesday, including crucial swing states that are necessary to Biden’s path toward 270 votes. Arizona, Georgia and Nevada were all shifted from toss up to lean Republican, and Democratic leaning Minnesota, New Hampshire and Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District were all moved from likely Democratic to lean Democratic.
The polling and forecasting have amplified Democratic concerns about Biden’s ability to beat Trump in November and put the party at an impasse on where to go next. Calls for their nominee to drop out are creating easy attack lines and campaign ads for Republicans to use against them and putting more attention on an issue Biden cannot solve in his age.
"He feels that once the weekend hits, people will be into Trump and the convention and his VP pick, that things will shift away from the Biden electability question," Paleologos said. "That's the gamble and he's got to prove to himself and everybody else that he's up to the task."
Biden appears to be stepping up the appearances. NBC's Lester Holt will interview Biden in Austin, Texas. The full interview will air during a prime-time special Monday night.
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