A senior White House official who has worked with President Biden since his days as vice president reportedly joined the growing chorus of calls urging him against running for reelection.
That unnamed official, described as working with Biden, 81, throughout his vice presidency, 2020 campaign and presidency explained to the New York Times that observing him in private and during travels together made clear that the Democrat doesn’t have what it takes to defeat Donald Trump.
The official concluded that Biden has increasingly displayed more signs of age over recent months, appearing tired in public, and speaking at a slower cadence.
Since Biden’s debate performance at the end of last month, he has been rocked by a storm of uncertainty among Democrats over whether he should remain at the top of the ticket for the Nov. 5 election.
Biden attempted to address many of these concerns on Friday during a sitdown interview with ABC News — but managed only to bleed even more supporters from his party.
“It was a bad episode. No indication of any serious condition. I was exhausted,” Biden told anchor George Stephanopoulos in the interview that aired last Friday.
His remarks came just over a week after the debate prompted mass heart palpitations among Democrats as well as a national conversation about his fitness for office.
During the debate, Biden froze up at times, mumbled through questions, appeared to lose his train of thought — and gave seemingly incoherent answers.
Biden has been adamant that he is “staying in the race.” He further contended that only the “Lord Almighty” could persuade him to bow out.
When confronted with consternation over his age, Biden pointed to his accomplishments in office as evidence that he has the cognitive wherewithal to carry out another term.
If he wins in November and serves out a full term, he will be 86 by the time he leaves office. Already, he is the oldest sitting president in US history.
Biden is set to be coronated the party’s presidential nominee within the coming weeks, ahead of the Democratic National Convention, in order to ensure ballot access in all 50 states.
For months, he has held the delegates needed to clinch the nomination.
Thus far, at least six sitting members of the House of Representatives have publicly called on Biden to consider stepping aside: Reps. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), and Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas).
More have done so anonymously and in private.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner (D-Virg.) is seeking to rally Democrats in the Senate to sign a letter nudging Biden to drop out, the Washington Post reported.
His spokesperson didn’t deny the move and Biden shrugged it off in an interview with ABC on Friday.
Moreover, top luminaries in the Democrat Party such as James Carville have also pushed for him to move aside.
Top administration officials have also conveyed to reporters that the president is eyeing a rare press conference this week in an apparent bid to ease trepidations over his cognitive state.
Biden has held the fewest press conferences of presidents in the recent era.
The Post contacted the White House for comment.
