By Jeff Mason, Steve Holland, Nandita Bose and Nathan Layne
REHOBOTH BEACH, Delaware/MILWAUKEE (Reuters) -President Joe Biden was “soul searching” about dropping his Democratic reelection campaign, a source said, while Donald Trump prepared to accept the Republican presidential nomination in what aides said would be an unusually reflective speech.
The fortunes of the two candidates appeared to be on opposite trajectories on Thursday in the run-up to the Nov. 5 election.
Biden, 81, was isolating at his Delaware home after contracting COVID-19, while facing a growing revolt from Democrats who urged him to step aside to avert a landslide defeat. His doctor said he was experiencing mild symptoms.
Trump, 78, has basked all week in adulation at the Republican National convention in Milwaukee after surviving Saturday’s assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally.
Trump’s acceptance speech, scheduled for 10 p.m. Eastern Time (0200 GMT on Friday), offers him a chance to lay out his vision for a second White House term before a prime time national television audience.
Biden has faced increasing pressure from heavyweights in his party to cede his position at the top of the ticket after an erratic June 27 debate performance against Trump. Former House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi is among those who have told him he cannot win in November, according to a White House source familiar with the matter.
After weeks of insisting that he will remain in the race, Biden is now taking calls to step aside seriously and multiple Democratic officials think an exit is a matter of time, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Democratic leaders in the House and Senate – Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer – have told Biden directly that he will not only lose the White House but also endanger their effort to win back the House, according to reports in multiple news outlets.
Opinion polls show four of the seven most competitive states looking increasingly out of reach for Biden. The Trump campaign, meanwhile, said it believes it is now competitive in Democratic-leaning states including Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Virginia. “We’re expanding the map,” a senior campaign adviser speaking on condition of anonymity told reporters.
So far, only 20 out of 264 Democrats in Congress have publicly called on Biden to drop out following the debate while more have expressed their concerns privately. The debate raised questions about Biden’s ability to win and to carry on in a high-pressure job for another four years if he were to succeed.
Representative Adam Schiff, a senior House lawmaker running for a Senate seat in California, became the latest Democrat to call on Biden to bow out on Wednesday.
White House officials believe Schiff was backed by Pelosi, according to a White House source speaking on condition of anonymity. That could be an ominous sign for Biden, as the former House speaker is still one of the most influential Democrats in Washington. “Nancy is all over this. She doesn’t miss,” the source said.
Some lawmakers say Biden may now be more open to stepping aside.
“He’s done what’s best for America … I think he’ll keep doing so,” Democratic U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper told Reuters. “He’s working towards that.”
Hickenlooper declined to say whether he believed Biden should step aside as a candidate.
Former President Barack Obama has told others that Biden, who was Obama’s vice president, should rethink his candidacy, the Washington Post reported, citing anonymous sources.
REPUBLICAN UNITY
Trump will cap the four-day Republican convention with his first public address since the assassination attempt.
Lara Trump, the nominee’s daughter-in-law who serves as Republican National Committee co-chair, said the assassination attempt had prompted him to revise his acceptance speech and emphasize unity.
“I don’t think you can go through what he went through on Saturday, really a near-death experience, and not come out on the other side impacted,” Lara Trump said.
Vice President Kamala Harris, who could vie for the Democratic nomination should Biden pull out, said Trump’s call for unity would have little credibility, given his persistent refusal to acknowledge his 2020 election defeat. “We’re too busy watching what you’re doing to hear what you’re saying,” she said at a campaign rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
So far, the convention has highlighted the Republican Party’s broad support for Trump, with former rivals including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley offering strong endorsements of his candidacy.
With most dissent quelled and his grip on the party never tighter, Trump will be in a much stronger position than in his 2017-2021 term to follow through on his agenda if he wins the election.
While those in attendance spoke of uniting the country, many former party stalwarts, including some critics of Trump, were notably absent. Among them were former President George W. Bush, former Representative Liz Cheney, Trump’s former vice president Mike Pence and former Senator Mitt Romney.