DNC delegates actively discussing Biden stepping down in leaked chats: ‘Painful experience’
California delegates for the Democratic Party are reportedly in disarray as debate over the president’s chances of re-election threatens to tear the party apart.
Private group chats across multiple social media platforms have been set up to facilitate discussion among the delegates, who almost universally worry that a second Biden term is an impossible sell to voters, according to Politico.
What to know about the calls for President Biden to drop out of the 2024 race:
- President Biden’s poor performance in the first 2024 presidential debate left some Democrats unsure of his fitness for office and future as the party’s candidate.
- More than a dozen congressional Democrats have joined in calling for Biden’s exit from the race. Former Biden supporter George Clooney echoed these calls in an op-ed published in the New York Times just weeks after he helped lead a record-breaking fundraiser for the Democrat.
- Democratic voters have continued to raise concerns about Biden’s nomination since the debate, with speculations and suggestions for replacement nominees running rampant.
- Biden’s former running mate Barack Obama has reportedly been trying to pressure him to drop out, and had prior knowledge of Clooney’s op-ed. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi allegedly told Biden he could not beat former President Donald Trump this time around.
- As the Democratic National Convention approaches, California delegates for the Democratic Party are reportedly in disarray as debate over the president’s chances of re-election threatens to tear the party apart.
- However, the Biden campaign has denied any plans for Biden to bow out and for Kamala Harris to step in as the Democratic nominee. Sources close to the president believe he might not be willing to drop out, while other sources claim he is “receptive” to giving up on a second term.
A cache of messages was reportedly leaked to the outlet — only the latest in a deluge of leaks from inside the Biden administration and the wider Democratic Party.
“Obviously, the first step would be that President Biden steps down of his own accord and frees his delegates,” DNC delegate Susan Bolle posted in a Facebook group discussing the issue. “We should discuss this. This is a painful experience on every level, but we play an outsized role in history this election. This cannot be left to chance.”
“Kamala isn’t the strongest overall but logistically it’d be the cleanest,” Stonewall Democratic Club vice president Nico Brancolini reportedly told her group. “But imagine the fury if a sitting vice president who is a black woman were passed over for any of the other candidates.”
The delegates are not the only ones becoming more aggressive in seeking Biden’s resignation from the 2024 presidential race.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reportedly talked to Biden over the phone and presented polling that suggested the president’s re-election campaign was tanking Democrats’ chances on the ticket, according to multiple reports.
“The speaker does not want to call on him to resign, but she will do everything in her power to make sure it happens,” one source familiar with the call told the outlet.
Biden reportedly became defensive against the former speaker’s accusations, suggesting that he has seen polls in which he’s ahead.
“President Biden is the nominee of the party. He plans to win and looks forward to working with congressional Democrats to pass his 100 days agenda to help working families,” White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told CNN when asked about the alleged phone call.
Pelosi, a longtime Biden ally, is now “convinced” Biden remaining on the ticket would cost her party the White House, according to a stunning Politico report published on Monday.
Last week, a number of House Democrats told The Hill that Pelosi was advising members in their conference against rallying to Biden before there is a broader discussion over whether he is the best candidate to defeat Trump.
Biden reportedly lashed out at fellow Democrats on a group call Saturday, insisting that questions about his viability for a second term were ridiculous.