President Joe Biden’s support among party leaders is eroding, with several top Democrats trying to convince the 81-year-old to withdraw from the race, according to recent reports.
“Biden is going to see the whole house of cards come down soon,” an ABC News report said, citing an individual who has publicly defended Biden since his debate performance.
Per the report, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer met with Biden in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on Saturday. Following the meeting, Schumer’s office released a brief statement: “I sat with President Biden this afternoon in Delaware; we had a good meeting.”
This meeting went largely unnoticed as it occurred shortly before the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania later that day.
ABC said a well-informed source close to both men revealed that Schumer had a candid conversation with Biden, suggesting it might be best for Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race.
When questioned, Schumer’s spokesperson did not comment on the specifics of the meeting, stating only that “Leader Schumer conveyed the views of his caucus,” the report writes.
“Unless ABC’s source is Chuck Schumer or President Joe Biden the reporting is idle speculation. Leader Schumer conveyed the views of his caucus directly to President Biden on Saturday,” the spokesperson added later.
Moreover, a source familiar with the situation reportedly informed ABC News that House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has also urged Biden to consider stepping down from the race.
Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi also had a conversation with Biden about a week ago, the report states, raising concerns shared by other Democratic Party members about his continued candidacy.
Meanwhile, CNN reported that Pelosi privately told Biden in a recent call that polling indicates he cannot defeat Donald Trump and that his candidacy could jeopardize the Democrats’ chances of retaining the House in November.
Biden responded by challenging Pelosi, citing polls that he believes show he can win. CNN said one source mentioned Biden became defensive about the polls. At one point, Pelosi asked Biden’s longtime adviser, Mike Donilon, to join the call to discuss the data.
This phone call marks the second known discussion between Pelosi and Biden since his poor debate performance on June 27. While the exact date of the call was unclear, one source indicated it occurred within the past week, CNN says.
None of the sources confirmed whether Pelosi explicitly told Biden he should drop out of the 2024 race during this conversation.
However, the U.S. representative made headlines following an interview last week, stating, “It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run. We’re all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short.”