Former President Barack Obama and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi reportedly spoke privately about concerns over President Joe Biden‘s re-election campaign and his chances to defeat former President Donald Trump, sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to CNN late Thursday (July 11) night.
Several Democrats are reportedly desperate to get Biden to drop out of the presidential race and believe either Obama, who Biden served under as vice president for two terms, or Pelosi, who served as house speaker and house minority leader throughout the entirety of the Obama administration, as well as decades in congress alongside then-Sen. Biden, would be the best options to convince the president to do so. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer reportedly “doesn’t have the trust of Biden” and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries “doesn’t have the depth of relationship to deliver the message,” according to CNN.
The news outlet said it “spoke with more than a dozen members of Congress, operatives and multiple people in touch with both Obama and Pelosi” and the belief is that the end of Biden’s candidacy is clear, despite his efforts to eradicate doubt during a live press conference Thursday night, which included a notable gaffe in which he referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump.” The report of Obama and Pelosi’s discussions followed previous reports of uncertainty regarding the president’s re-election campaign as a top campaign official reportedly told at least one megadonor that Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 election is “only a matter of time” privately according to TMZ, as well as multiple Democratic officials publicly calling for him to drop out.
The official reportedly said that focus had shifted from singular support of the president’s re-election to “Democrats have to retain The White House” following Biden’s disastrous performance in the first presidential debate against Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee. Biden, 81, the oldest president in history, appeared opposite Trump on the debate stage for the first time since the 2020 election and did little to quell concerns about his vigor and energy. The president appeared to struggle with his voice, clearing his throat and coughing multiple times, and was often seen open-mouthed and staring when Trump spoke, occasionally struggling to finish sentences.
Biden’s performance reportedly led to “panic” among Democrats, according to longtime Democratic operative and CNN senior political commentator David Axelrod.
“He seemed a little disoriented. He did get stronger as the debate went on. But by that time, I think the panic had set in,” Axelrod said, adding that “there are going to be discussions about whether he should continue.”
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