Top Line
Following Biden's poor performance in the June 27 debate and a series of subsequent polls suggesting former President Donald Trump will likely win the election in a landslide, Democratic Party officials are reportedly working behind the scenes to pressure President Joe Biden to drop out of the race. If the party were to replace Biden, these Democrats are best placed to succeed him.
US President Joe Biden spoke about the supplemental national security bill recently passed by the Senate. … [+]
Key Facts
The top two Democrats in Congress, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, have told Biden in private meetings that they believe he should withdraw from the presidential race, while former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, who still wields great influence within the party, has also directly expressed concerns to the president about Biden's future as a presidential candidate, ABC News reported Wednesday, citing people familiar with the discussions.
Notably, none of the three have outright denied the report. A series of polls have shown Trump's lead widening, with one Associated Press-NORC poll released Wednesday showing particularly bleak results: 65% of Democrats responding want the party to challenge Biden for the nomination.
Meanwhile, Biden is open to listening to negative polls behind closed doors after repeatedly insisting he's continuing to campaign following his performance in the June 27 debate, The New York Times reported. CNN also reported that the president has begun asking advisers about the chances of Vice President Kamala Harris beating Trump.
Harris She is the most obvious and de facto candidate to replace Biden on the general election shortlist. Her national name recognition gives her an advantage over other Biden candidates who will have to work quickly to get noticed by voters in a shortened campaign. And because she's already on the shortlist, she can seamlessly begin using Biden's campaign funds.
Governor of California Gavin NewsomNewsom's political activities, which included supporting Democrats in elections outside of California, led to rumors last year that he was running a “shadow campaign” for the White House, but he has firmly denied this possibility and has pledged allegiance to Biden's campaign in the 2024 presidential election, serving as a Biden campaign surrogate.
Other Democratic governors who have gained national recognition include Illinois' governor. JB PritzkerGovernor of Michigan Gretchen WhitmerGovernor of Colorado Jared Policeand Governor of Pennsylvania. Josh Shapiro— and are frequently mentioned as potential alternatives to Biden, especially since all four won their 2022 gubernatorial races by double-digit margins, though they all supported Biden's 2024 campaign and have defended him after the debate.
Advisor to the Senator. Bernie Sanders Senator Bernie Sanders (Independent, Vermont), who is one year older than Biden, said in a 2022 memo that he had not ruled out the possibility of running for president in 2024 if a primary were held, but in a July 13 New York Times op-ed titled “Joe Biden for President,” Sanders strongly defended Biden's decision to remain in the race, urging Democrats to “stop quibbling and obsessing about the minutiae” of Biden.
Former Democratic Presidential Candidate and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg And sense. Cory BookerD.N.J., and Amy KlobucharThe Minnesota Democrats have also been frequently mentioned as possible successors to Biden, but neither have announced their intention to run in his place, with Booker publicly defending Biden while Klobuchar has expressed concern about the future of her own candidacy.
Democratic primary candidate, Congressman. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) ran against Biden in the 2024 primary, focusing primarily on Biden's age, but gained little support before dropping out.
Amazing facts
Unfounded theories have circulated for years that Democrats might nominate Michelle Obama for president in 2024, given polls showing her high favorability ratings. But Obama has repeatedly said she would never run for president and does not seek the presidency.
tangent
Biden won this year's Democratic nomination by almost dominating the primary elections and securing the majority of the party's delegates, but if he were to withdraw, a new candidate could theoretically be chosen at the Democratic National Convention. Since delegates are not required to endorse a candidate at the convention on August 19, they could be encouraged to support another candidate in the unlikely event that Biden withdraws. If Biden wins the nomination at the convention but is unable to run in the general election in November, according to convention rules, Democratic Party Chair Jaime Harrison must consult with the General Assembly and the Democratic Governors Association and recommend a new candidate to the Democratic National Committee.
Main Background
Biden lost his train of thought just minutes into his June 27 debate with Trump and gave an incoherent answer to a question. This was one of several times Biden struggled to put together a coherent response and had to correct himself multiple times. Biden spoke in a hoarse voice and rarely responded when Trump was speaking, often standing open-mouthed with a stunned expression. By the end of the 90-minute program, the Democratic Party was in a state of panic, with multiple media outlets reporting that officials, lawmakers and donors were privately discussing replacing Biden. In the weeks since, a total of 20 Democrats in Congress have publicly called on Biden to drop out of the race, but Biden has vowed to remain a candidate, blaming his cold, his travel schedule and Trump's “lies” during the debate.
Points to note
No third-party candidate challenging Biden is seen as viable, but they may see Biden's withdrawal from the race as an opportunity to boost enthusiasm for their own longshot candidates, including from independents. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West.
References
Big names all urge Biden to back out: Adam Schiff joins 19 other Democrats in Congress (Forbes)
Democrats' Anti-Biden Movement Resurrects: Schiff and Nearly Two-Thirds of Democrats Want Biden Out of Office (Forbes)
Pressure mounts on Biden: Democratic Party officials report they expect Biden to withdraw within days (Forbes)
