Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi have reportedly urged the US president to make way for a more viable candidate to oppose Trump
According to media reports, leaders within the US Democratic Party are urging President Joe Biden to reconsider his reelection bid.
The veteran politician’s performance during a debate with Republican nominee Donald Trump last month was widely perceived as lackluster. Biden downplayed the performance, attributing it to fatigue and being “overprepared.” During an interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos, Biden stated that only “God Almighty” could convince him to withdraw from the race.
Sources told ABC News that Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer expressed concerns about the president’s candidacy during a private meeting with him in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware on Saturday. Another source revealed that House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has also privately voiced similar concerns to Biden.
Schumer’s office dismissed the reports as “idle speculation,” while a spokesperson for Jeffries referred the outlet to a public letter he wrote last week, which did not mention any stance on Biden’s potential withdrawal.
CNN sources claim that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi privately expressed doubts about Biden’s ability to defeat Trump in a phone call with the president. Citing opinion polls, Pelosi reportedly asserted that Biden would be unable to win. Biden reportedly responded defensively, echoing his sentiment from the Stephanopoulos interview.
”All the pollsters I talk to tell me it’s a tossup,” he said, without disclosing any specific pollsters.
During an interview with MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe’ last week, Pelosi suggested that time is “running short” for Biden to “decide if he is going to run.” She later denied that this comment was intended as a veiled call for the president to step down.
On Wednesday, Representative Adam Schiff, who is running for a Senate seat from California, became the 20th congressional Democrat to publicly advocate for Biden’s withdrawal. “While the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden’s alone, I believe it is time for him to pass the torch,” he said.
According to a plan proposed by the Democratic National Committee, Biden is scheduled to formally secure his nomination through a virtual call ahead of the party’s convention in Chicago next month.