Democratic presidential candidate U.S. President Joe Biden listens as Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during their debate in Atlanta, Ga., on June 27.Brian Snyder/Reuters
Should Joe Biden step down from the Democratic ticket?
After Mr. Biden’s performance at the first presidential debate, the question has created schisms within the Democratic party.
Nearly three dozen Democrats in Congress have said it’s time for Biden to leave the race. Five senators – Peter Welch of Vermont, Jon Tester of Montana, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Sherrod Brown of Ohio, and Joe Manchin of of West Virginia – have also said Biden should bow out.
While some Biden loyalists have openly come out in support of the aging President, others have been a bit more discreet in affirming their allegiance.
Here is a breakdown of who wants Mr. Biden to stay, leave, or are sitting on the sidelines.
Who is calling for Biden to step down from the race?
Nearly three dozen current and former Democratic lawmakers – senator Peter Welch, House representatives Lloyd Doggett, Mikie Sherrill and Pat Ryan, as well as former Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson – have made statements calling for Mr. Biden to step down. After his poor performance in the debate, these lawmakers say that a new candidate would have a better shot at defeating Mr. Trump in November.
“Mr. President, the risk of a Trump presidency, to destroy our democracy, to take over the government and never give it back again, is so great that we have to have our strongest candidate,” said Mr. Doggett, who was the first Democratic lawmaker to call for Mr. Biden to step aside.
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi privately warned Mr. Biden that Democrats could lose the ability to seize control of the House if he didn’t step away from the 2024 race, according to several people familiar with the sensitive internal matters.
Mrs. Pelosi also showed Mr. Biden polling that she argued shows he likely can’t defeat Republican Donald Trump, according to two of the people, who insisted on anonymity to discuss such matters.
On July 21, Senator Joe Manchin, an independent who considered a White House run this year, was the latest member of Congress to suggest Biden focus on the remaining months of his presidency
Mr. Biden has also lost the support of some of his most prominent defenders. In a July 10 op-ed published in The New York Times, actor, director and long-time Democrat George Clooney called for Mr. Biden to step down, just weeks after he held a massive fundraiser for the President. “Our party leaders need to stop telling us that 51 million people didn’t see what we just saw,” he wrote, adding that Mr. Biden isn’t fit for the job because of his advanced age.
Actor and Mr. Biden’s supporter Michael Douglas echoed Mr. Clooney’s remarks in an interview, adding he’s worried about the President’s ability to hold the top job for years to come.
After Mr. Biden’s press conference at the end of the NATO summit on July 10 night, Connecticut congressman Jim Himes posted a statement on X saying that he hoped President Biden would step away from the campaign, sentiments echoed by Illinois congressman Eric Sorenson with his own statement on X, and California congressman Scott Peters in a document obtained by Politico. California representative Adam Schiff, who is currently running for U.S. Senate, said in a statement that he has “serious concerns” that Biden can defeat Trump in the election.
Barack Obama, other leaders are concerned about Biden’s viability on the ticket
Former president Barack Obama has privately expressed concerns to Democrats about President Joe Biden’s candidacy. Mr. Obama has not spoken directly to Mr. Biden, two people familiar with the matter told AP sources on the condition of anonymity. He has conveyed to allies that Mr. Biden needs to consider the viability of his campaign but has also made clear that the decision is one Mr. Biden needs to make.
Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader in the House of Representatives, said he met with Mr. Biden to convey the range of thoughts the Democratic bloc held about his candidacy. He did not say how Mr. Biden responded.
”I directly expressed the full breadth of insight, heartfelt perspectives and conclusions about the path forward,” Mr. Jeffries wrote in a letter to colleagues.
Who wants Biden to stay on as the candidate?
Much of the Democratic party have decided to stick with the President, including Bernie Sanders, who wrote an op-ed in the New York Times saying as much, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Many Democrats have said it is too late for the party to change candidates before the election, Mr. Biden is still the best person for the job and that the infighting within the party is only hurting their chances.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has publicly stated his support for Mr. Biden’s re-election bid. However Axios reported on Wednesday that he has been privately signalling to donors that he is open to having a different candidate on the ticket.
Many members of the Congressional Black Caucus, or CBC, a caucus made up of Black House Democrats, stated their support for Mr. Biden early this week. The CBC remains a vitally important group for Democratic presidential hopefuls, as Black voters remain one of the party’s most loyal voting blocs.
On Friday, Mr. Biden got a boost from Representative James Clyburn, who said the 81-year-old incumbent should not drop his reelection bid following a high-profile press conference.
”I am all in. I’m riding with Biden no matter which direction he goes,” Clyburn said on NBC’s “Today” program. Clyburn, 83, is a respected voice among Black Americans and played a leading role in Biden’s successful 2020 White House run.
A few members of the Black caucus have distanced themselves from the caucus’s stance and joined calls for Mr. Biden to reconsider his candidacy.
Who would replace Biden if he steps down?
Many top Democrats say Vice-President Kamala Harris would be Mr. Biden’s natural successor if he decided to step aside as the Democratic candidate. Recent polls suggest Ms. Harris could do better than Mr. Biden against Mr. Trump, although that margin is slight.
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris speaks to a crowd during a campaign event at James B. Dudley High School on July 11, 2024 in Greensboro, N.C.Sean Rayford/Getty Images
Despite her position as vice-president, Ms. Harris may have to compete with other candidates to win the nomination. And Ms. Harris herself has not publicly shown any interest in taking over the top of the ticket, reiterating her support for Mr. Biden’s bid at a second term.
Other candidates have been discussed, including governors Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer, Josh Shapiro, J. B. Pritzker and California representative Ro Khanna. Past presidential hopefuls such as Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg could step forward as well.
What’s next? The virtual roll call and Democratic National Convention
Democratic National Committee’s rule-making arm is pressing ahead with plans for a virtual roll call before Aug. 7 to nominate the presidential pick, ahead of the party’s convention On Aug. 19 in Chicago.
If Mr. Biden refuses to step down and a sizable enough chunk of Democrats still want to see him gone, the convention could be the venue where a replacement candidate is selected.
One way this could happen would be if a new candidate emerged who gets the support of delegates Mr. Biden has won in the nominations contests, who are technically obligated to support him only by “good conscience” in the party’s rules.
Challenges to the presumptive nominee can occur, but there are significant hurdles, according to Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and an expert in the party’s nominating process.
“It has been tried, and it usually fails,” said Ms. Kamarck, who is a long-time member of the Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee.
“You would need a strong and persuasive alternative to Biden, and right now there isn’t one,” she added.
With files from Reuters and the Associated Press