A growing number of Biden's supporters, including campaign officials, are calling for him to withdraw amidst concerns about his age, cognitive abilities, and dwindling poll numbers.
President Joe Biden faces mounting pressure from within his own party to drop out of the upcoming presidential race, with growing calls from "closest allies" urging him to reconsider his candidacy. According to an explosive report by NBC News, a chorus of campaign officials, aides, and operatives now believe Biden's chances of re-election are dwindling, citing his infamous debate disaster, dwindling poll numbers, and ongoing concerns about his cognitive abilities.
"He needs to drop out… he will never recover from this," one anonymous Biden campaign official told NBC News.
Biden's "Closest Allies" Urge Him to Drop Out of Presidential Race
The report paints a grim picture of Biden's inner circle, with multiple sources expressing doubts about his ability to win and urging him to step aside for a younger candidate, most notably Vice President Kamala Harris. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, cited a range of concerns, including Biden's age, questions surrounding his cognitive abilities, and fundraising issues.
"The set of Democrats who think he should reconsider his decision to stay in the race has grown to include aides, operatives, and officials tasked with guiding his campaign to victory," NBC News reporters wrote. "Those who spoke to NBC News said the sentiment that he should exit and leave the Democratic nomination to someone else — most likely Vice President Kamala Harris — is widespread even within the ranks of the campaign and the outside Democratic entities supporting it."
Biden's "Closest Allies" Urge Him to Drop Out of Presidential Race
Another campaign staffer allegedly offered the dire assessment that nobody involved feels Biden "has a path" to victory, while a third allegedly told NBC News that "questions swirling around Biden’s cognitive abilities," fundraising issues, and polls have made the campaign unsustainable.
"This person also said they didn’t see how the campaign could win," NBC News reported.
Biden's "Closest Allies" Urge Him to Drop Out of Presidential Race
The sources' concerns echo those expressed by outside observers, including the New York Times editorial board and actor George Clooney. The Times editorial board called on Biden to "step aside" for a younger candidate, while Clooney recently stated that he does not believe Biden should run again.
Biden has repeatedly insisted that he intends to seek re-election, but the growing pressure from within his own party suggests a shift in the political landscape. The NBC News report, based on conversations with multiple sources close to Biden, paints a bleak picture of his chances of winning a second term.
As Biden prepares to deliver an important, solo press conference from the NATO summit, the calls for him to drop out are likely to intensify. The president's performance at this highly anticipated event will be scrutinized closely by both supporters and detractors, who will be looking for any signs of cognitive decline or missteps that could further damage his already fragile campaign.
