The pressure for President Joe Biden to withdraw as the Democratic presidential nominee had subsided after Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt last weekend.
However, it surged again on Wednesday when Biden was diagnosed with COVID-19 and canceled events to self-isolate at his home in Delaware.
Adam Schiff, a prominent US representative from California, publicly stated that Biden should step down, becoming the most notable lawmaker to do so openly.
According to ABC News, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer had advised Biden in a Saturday meeting that stepping down would benefit both the country and the Democratic Party.
A spokesperson for Schumer responded to the report, calling it “idle speculation” and emphasizing that Schumer had conveyed the views of his caucus directly to Biden.
CNN reported that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Biden that polling indicated he could not defeat Trump, which would negatively impact the Democrats’ chances in the House of Representatives this November.
Adding to the mounting pressure, David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to Barack Obama, criticized Biden’s ability to alleviate voter concerns about his age following a poor debate performance.
Axelrod remarked to The Guardian, “I’ve said for a long time, it’s not in any way a commentary on his record, which I think will be honored more by history than it is by voters right now, but it’s a very hard case to make that anyone should be elected president in the United States at the age of 82, not for political reasons but for actuarial reasons.”
At an event during the Republican National Convention, Axelrod questioned Biden’s viability as the presumptive nominee, stating that Biden’s future candidacy was “entirely in his hands.”
Schiff echoed these sentiments, expressing doubts about Biden’s ability to win against Trump in November and suggesting it was time “to pass the torch.”
Schiff’s and Axelrod’s comments followed those of an anonymous “prominent strategist” who declared the internal rebellion against Biden’s candidacy was a clear sign of deep division within the party.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced that Biden would be confirmed as the Democratic nominee by a virtual vote between August 1 and 7, ahead of the Chicago convention.
Amidst debates over Biden’s age and cognitive fitness, an ABC-Norc poll revealed that nearly two-thirds of Democrats believed Biden should withdraw.
Nate Silver, a blogger and podcaster, pointed to a speech where Biden appeared to struggle, highlighting growing concerns about his capability to serve four more years.
In a public spat with Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison, Silver accused the DNC of lying about the necessity of confirming Biden before the convention.
Harrison defended the plan, citing election law in Ohio.
However, the Ohio secretary of state stated that the election law issue had been resolved, further fueling the discord within the party.
Former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain defended Biden, sharing a FiveThirtyEight prediction of a Biden electoral college victory and maintaining that Biden was uniquely capable of defeating Trump.
Silver challenged Klain’s position, inviting him to a podcast to discuss his views.
Amidst the ongoing debate, Simon Rosenberg, a pollster and strategist, urged Democrats to stop attacking each other to prevent aiding Trump’s campaign, a message that Harrison echoed by reposting Rosenberg’s appeal.
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