- First Democratic senator doubts Biden’s prospects
- Pelosi uncertain, others urge party unity
- Biden committed to staying in the race
The first Democratic senator has questioned President Joe Biden’s electoral prospects, after seven congressmen urged the 81-year-old to step down.
Michael Bennet of Colorado predicted that the president would lose to Donald Trump, maybe by a “landslide,” but did not say he should retire.
Mr Biden’s fitness for government has been questioned following a stuttering presidential debate performance versus Trump last month.
Mr Bennet told CNN that the president should consider remaining in the race. Trump stated he was “on track, I believe, to win this election, possibly by a landslide.
He said the problem was “a moral question about the future of our country.”
In a TV interview on Wednesday, Nancy Pelosi expressed her uncertainty about Mr Biden’s future when asked, “Does he have your support?
“I want him to do whatever he wants,” Ms Pelosi told MSNBC’s Morning Joe. “That is the way things are. Whatever he decides on.”
“It is up to the president to decide if he will run. We are all pressuring him to make that decision as time runs out. I told everyone to hold off.
Whatever you’re thinking, tell someone discreetly, but don’t put it on the table until we see how things go this week. But I’m pretty proud of the president.”
On Monday, the president stated his resolve to stay in the race on the same show and wrote to congressional Democrats on the same day, saying he was “firmly committed to staying in this race.”
On Tuesday, Mr. Biden opened the NATO summit in Washington with brief but impassioned remarks, declaring the union “more powerful than ever.” He spoke in a much more transparent tone than he did during the argument.
Other Democrats have stressed the value of party unity. Hank Johnson, a Georgia congressman, said it was time to “break the circular firing squad” surrounding Mr Biden.
Mr Johnson, a member of the influential Congressional Black Caucus, acknowledged that Mr Biden had a “horrible” debate but stated that most voters of color supported him as their choice.
During a call on Monday, the caucus of over 60 parliamentarians endorsed the president.
On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said, “I’m with Joe”. Others praised Mr. Biden’s record in the White House or spoke about Democratic unity.
For the same day, however, a seventh Democrat in the House of Representatives, Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, publicly called for Mr. Biden to quit, claiming that the stakes were “too high.”
She joined other members of Congress, including Adam Smith, who told that the party needs to choose a “stronger messenger” as its candidate.
CNN reports that two other senators believe Mr Biden will be unable to win the presidency again, though neither has officially broken ranks.
Meanwhile, George Stephanopoulos, a longtime Democratic operative turned ABC News host who interviewed Mr. Biden last week, stated that he does not believe the president “can serve four more years.”
TMZ recorded the audio. Mr Stephanopoulos did not retract the comment but subsequently admitted he should not have made it.
Mr Biden is also allegedly under pressure from ambassadors visiting Washington for the NATO meeting. One of them, anonymously, told Reuters that he did not see him staying in office for another four years.
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Vice President Kamala Harris is the front-runner in the race to succeed Biden.
She has steadfastly supported her running companion, declaring during a weekly rally that he is a “fighter.”
Mr Biden has challenged his critics to either challenge him or rally behind his candidacy, despite admitting he “screwed up” during the Trump debate.
Trump has stated that Ms Harris would be a “better” competition, but he expects his opponent to remain in the race.
“He’s got an ego and doesn’t want to quit,” he stated.
