July 20th 2024.
Despite a busy week of campaigning, interviews, and touting himself as the best candidate to take on Republican Donald Trump, President Joe Biden has yet to ease the pressure for him to withdraw from the 2024 race. This weekend, he faces important decisions that could shape the future of both the country and his political party, as the nation gears up for the November election with a reinvigorated GOP following their convention, focused on securing Trump's return to the White House.
Over 35 Democrats in Congress have come forward to call for Biden's exit from the race, with 12 joining the chorus on Friday alone. More lawmakers are expected to speak out in the coming days, while donors have also expressed concerns. In fact, an organization called "Pass the Torch" has even planned a rally for Saturday at the White House, urging Biden to step aside.
Democratic Representative Morgan McGarvey of Kentucky, one of the lawmakers pushing for Biden's withdrawal, stated, "There is no satisfaction in recognizing that he should not be our nominee in November. But the stakes of this election are too high, and we cannot risk anything distracting from the focus of defeating Donald Trump."
This standoff has become increasingly untenable for the party and its leaders, just a month away from the Democratic National Convention, which should be a moment of unity as they nominate their incumbent president to take on Trump. Instead, the party is facing an unprecedented crossroads.
This stark contrast is evident when compared to the Republicans, who, after years of bitter infighting over Trump, have essentially embraced his far-right takeover of the party. This is despite his criminal conviction in the hush money case and pending federal indictment for attempting to overturn the 2020 election before the January 6th attack on the Capitol.
While isolating at his home in Delaware due to a COVID-19 infection, 81-year-old Biden is surrounded by a small circle of family and advisors. According to White House doctor Kevin O'Connor, the president's symptoms have improved, although he still has a dry cough and hoarseness.
Despite this, Biden's team insists that he is ready to return to the campaign trail next week, countering what he describes as Trump's "dark vision." In a statement on Friday, Biden declared, "Together, as a party and as a country, we can and will defeat him at the ballot box. The stakes are high, and the choice is clear. Together, we will win."
However, outside of Biden's Delaware enclave, the debate and passions surrounding his potential withdrawal are intensifying. A recent donor call with 300 participants was described as a waste of time by one anonymous attendee. While the person praised Vice President Kamala Harris, who spoke for five minutes, the rest of the time was filled with others brushing aside donor concerns.
The division within the Democratic party not only centers on whether Biden should stay in the race or step aside but also on how to choose a successor. For now, those calling for Biden's withdrawal have not coalesced around a plan for what should happen next. Few have mentioned Harris in their statements, and some have suggested an open nominating process that would allow the party to endorse a new candidate.
Democratic senators Jon Tester of Montana and Peter Welch of Vermont have both called for Biden to step down and have expressed support for an open nominating process at the convention. Welch stated in an interview with the Associated Press, "An open process would strengthen whoever ultimately becomes the nominee."
Others argue that it would be politically unthinkable to move past Harris, the nation's first female vice president, who is also Black and South-East Asian. Additionally, it would be logistically challenging with a virtual nominating vote planned for early next month before the August 19th Democratic convention in Chicago. Representative Betty McCollum of Minnesota, one of the lawmakers calling for Biden's withdrawal, explicitly endorsed Harris as a replacement, stating, "To give Democrats a strong, viable path to winning the White House, I am calling upon President Biden to release his delegates and empower Vice President Harris to step forward as the Democratic nominee for President."
It's unclear if there is anything else Biden can do to change course and regain the support of lawmakers and Democratic voters who are skeptical of his ability to defeat Trump and serve another term, especially after his lackluster debate performance last month. According to a recent AP-NORC poll, nearly two-thirds of Democrats believe Biden should withdraw from the race and allow the party to nominate someone else, a significant blow to his claim that "average Democrats" still support him, despite some "big names" turning against him.
At the same time, a majority of Democrats believe that Harris would do a good job as the presidential candidate, according to another AP-NORC poll. Meanwhile, while Biden stated his determination to stay in the race in a letter to Democrats in Congress after the debate, he has yet to visit Capitol Hill to shore up support, a noticeable absence to senators and representatives.
The president did engage in virtual conversations with various caucuses last week, but some of these conversations did not go well. During a call with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Representative Mike Levin of California advised Biden to step down. In another call with the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Biden became defensive when Representative Jared Huffman of California suggested that he meet with top party leaders to discuss the way forward. Huffman was one of four Democratic lawmakers who called on Biden to end his reelection bid on Friday.
Despite this, Biden still has strong supporters, as evidenced by his endorsement from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus' campaign arm and the backing of leaders from the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
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