Republican candidates argue Biden does not want to step down and that Democrats have few options to remove him from office.
Donald Trump has said he does not believe Joe Biden will give up his bid for re-election as US president, suggesting he will continue to run for his own ego.
In a phone interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Monday night, the Republican nominee said there was a “good chance” that Biden would continue to run the campaign despite growing pressure to drop out amid concerns about his mental and physical health.
“He has an ego and he doesn't want to quit,” Trump said. “He doesn't want to do that. It just seems to me like that's what he wants.”
Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, said there was little Democrats could do to knock Biden out of the race short of invoking a constitutional clause that allows the vice president and Cabinet members to declare the president unable to perform his duties.
“He has all the power, he has the delegates,” Trump said. “He doesn't have to resign.”
Trump said he expects Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic nominee if Biden chooses to step down.
“I think she's going to win,” he said, “and I think they're very worried about the vote if she doesn't win… They're scared and they don't want to have it any other way.”
Trump's comments came after Biden on Monday again rejected calls for him to resign following his dismal performance in last month's debate, insisting in a letter to Democratic lawmakers that he will “fight this campaign to the end and defeat Donald Trump.”
Biden appeared to stumble and lose his train of thought during the debate, and six Democratic senators have publicly called on him to step aside.
Many other Democrats have also publicly expressed concern about whether Biden can beat Trump, given his age and health.
Still, Biden has so far managed to retain the support of most Democratic leaders, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries reiterating their support for the president on Monday.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump also addressed last month's debate for the first time, calling it a “weird night.”
“His voice was weak and he didn't really know what was going on,” he said of Biden.
