In a not-so-surprising report by The New York Times, an anonymous, close ally to Joe Biden has claimed that the president is considering stepping aside after acknowledging that his effort at re-election may be “unsalvageable.”
According to The New York Times, Biden has begun moving towards acknowledging reality.
President Biden has told a key ally that he knows he may not be able to salvage his candidacy if he cannot convince the public in the coming days that he is up for the job after a disastrous debate performance last week.
The president, who the ally emphasized is still deeply in the fight for re-election, understands that his next few appearances heading into the holiday weekend must go well, particularly an interview scheduled for Friday with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News and campaign stops in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
“He knows if he has two more events like that, we’re in a different place” by the end of the weekend, said the ally, referring to Mr. Biden’s halting and unfocused performance in the debate. The person, who talked to the president in the past 24 hours, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive situation.
The conversation is the first indication to become public that the president is seriously considering whether he can recover after a devastating performance on the debate stage in Atlanta on Thursday. Concerns are mounting about his viability as a candidate and whether he could serve as president for another four years.
A top adviser to the president also told The Times that Biden is “well aware of the political challenge he faces.”
Andrew Bates, White House Senior Deputy Press Secretary and Deputy Assistant to the President, strongly pushed back against the story.
That claim is absolutely false. If the New York Times had provided us with more than 7 minutes to comment we would have told them so. https://t.co/SRTYIVTy7v
— Andrew Bates (@AndrewJBates46) July 3, 2024
As one reporter noted in response to Bates, the White House press secretary once claimed that Biden’s schedule “exhausts young staffers” because he’s so energetic.
Why would anyone believe statements from this White House? You’re the same guy who said Biden keeps a schedule that exhausts young staffers https://t.co/H9o8IGmNxx
— Josh Barro (@jbarro) July 3, 2024
The president is expected to hold several meetings today looking to “calm the waters,” including with Vice President Kamala Harris and several Democratic governors.
