Tipsheet

Is Biden's Cabinet Now Joining the Plot to Oust Joe?

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  July 21, 2024 2:00 PM

UPDATE: Biden has dropped out.

Any discussions below are now moot. The besieged president has now endorsed VP Kamala Harris.

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This week was a disaster for Democrats. The gloves came off from the party’s heavyweights. They tried to do this quietly and with dignity. Now, they need to embarrass the president, who is recovering from COVID in Delaware, who refuses to see that he’s dragging the entire ticket down. Joe Biden has remained defiant, saying yesterday he plans to return to the trail next week. Yet, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Barack Obama have other plans but are still trying to dump Joe, and time is quickly running out. 

Reports that the president might accept that he needs to step aside poured in last night. The rumors have infuriated Biden, but now there’s a new front emerging: his own cabinet (via Bloomberg): 

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Some members of President Joe Biden’s cabinet have had private discussions among themselves as to whether it’s now time for his closest advisors to reckon with him about his increasingly dim electoral prospects, according to a person familiar with the matter. 

The top-tier officials aren’t themselves trying to push Biden aside, but have discussed whether his 2024 reelection campaign has reached a breaking point, according to the individual, who was granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. The cabinet members acknowledged in their talks that voters have questions around the president’s health and ability to defeat ex-President Donald Trump a second time. 

[…] 

The resulting pressure campaign has left Biden’s reelection effort even further bloodied, and fanned widespread speculation across Washington that he could drop his reelection bid in the coming days. 

[…] 

The White House declined to comment. But a second person familiar with the conversation stressed that there had been no suggestion Biden was not equipped to serve out the remainder of his term, or that the cabinet might take action to remove him from power. 

Biden hasn’t met with his cabinet since October 2, 2023. Even then, it was a staged event. One member told NBC News’ Chuck Todd they’d be shocked if Biden ran again, adding that the condition of the president’s health is unknown since meetings are infrequent. 

There are serious forces at work trying to get Biden out of the race. He has the delegates, the war chest, and the institution, but it means little when the entire party works to undercut you. Stay tuned.