Former United States president Barack Obama has privately expressed concerns to Democrats about President Joe Biden’s candidacy, the Associated Press reported on Thursday.
And Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi privately warned Biden that Democrats could lose the ability to seize control in the House if he didn’t step away from the race.
Pelosi also showed Biden polling that he likely can’t defeat Republican Donald Trump, according to people familiar with the matter who insisted on anonymity to discuss it.
The Washington Post also reported on Thursday that Obama believes Biden needs to seriously consider the viability of his candidacy.
Time racing, Democrats at the highest levels are making a critical push for Biden to reconsider his reelection bid, as unease grows at the White House and within the campaign at a fraught moment for the president and his party.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have all expressed deep concerns directly to Biden in recent days that he will not only lose the White House but also cost the party any chance of winning back the House of Representatives in the Nov. 5 election, according to Reuters.
Get daily news
The White House said Biden was isolating and continuing to work after the president tested positive for COVID-19 during a campaign visit to Nevada, forcing him to return to his Delaware home to work in isolation.
His campaign is now pursuing a razor-thin path to reelection, with four of the seven most competitive states now looking increasingly out of reach. The Trump campaign, meanwhile, says 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 called on Biden to drop out following his poor June debate performance against Trump, which 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.
Some lawmakers think Biden now may 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.”
— With files from Reuters