Pres. Biden reportedly told an ally that he is weighing whether to continue in the race. That is according to the New York Times:
- President Biden acknowledges his candidacy may be at risk if he cannot convince the public of his capability after a poor debate performance.
- He understands that his upcoming appearances, including an interview with George Stephanopoulos and campaign stops in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, are crucial.
- An ally mentioned that another two poor events could significantly impact his campaign.
- This is the first public indication of Biden's serious consideration of his ability to recover after the debate.
- A top adviser stated that Biden is aware of the political challenge he faces.
Campaign officials are closely monitoring polls, with a CBS News poll showing Trump ahead of Biden since the debate.
- Biden is reaching out to Democratic officials and has a meeting with Democratic governors scheduled.
- He is open to the possibility that his plans to recover from the debate may not work.
- Allies emphasize that Biden is still fighting and sees this as an opportunity for a comeback.
- He is aware of the challenge to convince voters, donors, and the political class that his debate performance was an anomaly.
The scuttlebutt is that if he does step down, VP Kamala Harris would be the Democratic candidate. Harris does not poll much better than Biden but she is younger (if that is now the major requirement for presidential candidates on either side of the aisle).
Yesterday there was chat that the Democrats might move up the nomination process ahead of the August primary more toward the end of July.
UPDATE: A White House spokesperson has denied that Biden is considering dropping out.
For the article: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/03/us/politics/biden-election-debate.html
