The mounting pressure from several close friends and congressional leaders will persuade President Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race as soon as this weekend, several top Democrats told Axios.
The outlet noted that privately, Biden “resigned to mounting pressure, bad polls, and untenable scrutiny making it impossible to continue his campaign,” a Democratic source said. Top leaders of the party, his friends, and donors believe that Biden does not have a shot at winning and “can’t change public perceptions of his age and acuity” (via Axios):
The president is being told that if he stays in, former President Trump could win in a landslide and wipe away Biden's legacy and Democrats' hopes in November.
[...]
Democrats fully expect polls after the Republican National Convention to show a possible blowout that could bring down Democrats in Congress, too.
President Biden may decide to drop out of the presidential race as soon as this weekend, according to several top Democrats who believe the rising pressure will persuade the 81-year-old. https://t.co/Czmy98XMvQ
— Axios (@axios) July 18, 2024
Axios noted that an AP-NORC poll published yesterday showed that nearly two-thirds of Democrats want Biden to withdraw from the race.
"His choice is to be one of history's heroes, or to be sure of the fact that there'll never be a Biden presidential library," one of the president's close friends told Axios. "I pray that he does the right thing. He's headed that way."
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) reportedly told Biden in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware last weekend that it would be best if he dropped out. Democrats on the hill worry that they’ll lose their seats if Biden does not (via Axios):
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), a mastermind of the campaign to get Biden out, told him that he could destroy Democrats' chances of taking back the House. We're told she's also worried about donations drying up.
Former aides for Obama have “trashed” Biden in public, as well.
After the debate against former President Donald Trump, poll numbers for Biden began to tank. This has worsened since the attempted assassination of Trump last weekend.
On Wednesday, Biden revealed that he has COVID-19 and cancelled his appearances.