Atlanta, June 27, 2024. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
Democratic leaders have ruled out the possibility of replacing President Joe Biden in the race for the White House following his poor performance in Thursday night’s debate with Donald Trump. Instead, they urged party members to focus on the consequences of a second Trump presidency, reports Reuters.
After days of concern about Joe Biden and the outcome of the November 5 election, Democratic leaders firmly rejected calls to replace him with a younger presidential candidate. The official Democratic stance is that the disastrous debate was due to inadequate preparation and the president’s exhaustion.
The White House leader failed to counter Trump’s misinformation and appeared tired and at times incoherent, with a hoarse voice—apparently due to a cold.
Following the debate, the 81-year-old Biden spoke with family members at the presidential residence at Camp David, likely discussing his political future. Associated Press reported that Biden’s strongest supporters urging him to resist pressure to withdraw were his wife, Jill, and his son, Hunter, who last month became the first child of a sitting president to be convicted of a crime.
Despite this support, calls for Biden’s withdrawal continued, with a CBS poll showing a 10-point increase in the number of Democrats who believe Biden should not run in November, rising to 46% from 36% in February.
Party Support
These calls, from many commentators and even some Democratic strategists after the debate, have so far met a firm resistance.
“Absolutely not,” responded Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia, one of the Democrats who could replace Biden. “Bad debates happen,” he told NBC. “I stand with Joe Biden, and our mission is to ensure he crosses the finish line in November,” the senator added.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who could become speaker next year if his party regains control of the House in November, also acknowledged that Biden suffered a setback in the debate with Trump. “I think a setback is nothing more than a setup for a comeback,” he told MSNBC. “So, the moment we are in now is a moment of comeback, and we will all need to lean in, articulate a forward-looking message that shows why the Democratic platform is best equipped to meet the challenges facing the American people,” he said.
Another top Democrat in the House, Representative James Clyburn, agreed. “He should remain in this race. He should continue to demonstrate the ability to lead the country,” Clyburn told CNN.
“Exaggerated Media Reports”
Some Democrats argued that the blame for the president’s poor performance lies with his advisers. However, Biden’s campaign stated on Friday that no staff reshuffle was being considered. Several advisers, not just Dunn and Bauer, were involved in the preparation, a campaign official said, also noting that Morgan was not present.
In an email to supporters on Saturday, O’Malley Dillon stated that internal polls and focus groups showed no change in voter opinions in key states after the debate.
She warned that “exaggerated media reports” could lead to “temporary drops in the polls,” but expressed confidence that Biden would win in November.
Numerous commentators called for Biden’s withdrawal from the race. In an editorial published Friday night titled “To Serve the Country, President Biden Must Leave the Race” for the White House, The New York Times described Joe Biden as “a shadow of a leader,” after the 81-year-old president “failed his own test.”
“A Bad Presidency, a Disastrous Debate”
Republicans criticized Democrats’ claims that Biden’s poor performance in the debate was a one-off incident.
“The idea that Biden had a bad night is not the real story. He had a bad presidency, he had a disastrous debate,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, on CNN.
A day after the debate, Biden returned with a strong speech in North Carolina and a commitment to continue his campaign. Many donors and Democrats rallied around him.
However, many observers noted that the effects of the debate would be felt.
Asked on Sunday if the Democratic Party was discussing a new candidate for 2024, Congressman Jamie Raskin of Maryland suggested on MSNBC that such discussions had taken place.
“There are very honest, serious, and rigorous discussions taking place at every level of our party because it’s a political party, and we have different points of view,” he said.
With Democratic leaders standing by the president, it will be up to Biden to decide whether he wants to end his re-election bid.
