Discussions are reportedly taking place within President Biden’s family about the possibility of him withdrawing from the 2024 presidential election.
The number of Democrats in Congress calling for President Biden to step aside from the 2024 presidential race has grown to at least 35, according to NBC News. This comes after 13 more Democrats joined the calls on Friday.
President Biden, who is currently isolating after contracting Covid-19, has stated he will resume campaigning next week.
Prominent Democrats, including former President Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have reportedly expressed concerns about Biden’s chances of reelection following his performance in the June debate against Republican frontrunner Donald Trump.
On Friday, Senator Sherrod Brown and several House Democrats joined the growing number of lawmakers and party donors urging Biden to withdraw from the race, citing his declining chances of victory, according to NBC.
A recent AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll revealed that nearly two-thirds of Democrats nationwide want Biden to step aside and allow another candidate to run.
According to NBC, sources familiar with the matter have reported that members of the Biden family have begun discussions about what his exit from the presidential race might look like, as some of his closest allies believe he will ultimately decide to withdraw. However, White House spokesperson Andrew Bates denied that any exit discussions were taking place, stating, “this is not happening, period,” and urging supporters to “keep the faith.”
Biden’s campaign announced on Friday that he plans to return to the campaign trail next week. After Trump accepted the Republican nomination at the Republican National Convention, Biden criticized his rival’s speech, calling it a “dark vision for the future.”
“Together, as a party and as a country, we can and will defeat him at the ballot box,” Biden said, adding that “the stakes are high, and the choice is clear. Together, we will win.”
Trump delivered his first public address on Thursday since a near-fatal assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania last weekend. He promised “an incredible victory” in November, followed by “the four greatest years in the history of our country,” vowing to “very quickly make America great again.”
Earlier in July, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow will work with any US president who is chosen by the American people.