President Joe Biden is facing calls to withdraw from the presidential election amid concerns about whether he can win in November, with several news outlets reporting that he has become more open to the idea.
Calls for Biden, 81, to step aside began following the CNN Presidential Debate against former President Donald Trump last month in Atlanta, Georgia. Biden sounded hoarse and appeared to stumble through several answers, doing little to quell concerns about his age. Critics argue that he should pass the torch to a younger Democrat, such as Vice President Kamala Harris.
However, Biden has maintained that he is staying in the race. His campaign said he had a cold the night of the debate and have sought to dispel questions about his fitness by having him do a number of interviews and public appearances in the weeks following the debate. But polls, which have shown Trump leading key swing states, still show Biden trailing.
Several news outlets reported this week that Biden may be becoming more open to stepping aside, most citing anonymous sources. Those quotes could not be verified by Newsweek.
A White House spokesperson denied those reports to ABC News, saying, “Anyone who has talked to Joe Biden in the last 24 hours can tell you that is not true.”
Newsweek reached out to the Biden campaign for comment via email.
Here is an overview of six quotes that suggest Biden could be considering stepping aside from the election.
Biden ‘Willing to Listen’ to Arguments: NYT
The New York Times, citing “Democrats briefed on [Biden’s] conversations, reported that Biden has become more receptive to hearing the case about why he should step aside from the presidential race.
The publication noted that he has still not said he is changing his mind about staying in the race. But he has listened to arguments about “worrying” polling data and has questioned whether Harris could win the election in November, particularly after meeting with Senator Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Andrew Bates, a White House spokesperson, told the Times, “The president told both leaders he is the nominee of the party, he plans to win and looks forward to working with both of them to pass his 100 days agenda to help working families.”
Biden Is ‘Soul Searching’: Reuters
Elsewhere, Reuters published a quote from an anonymously sourced Democratic official that Biden is doing “soul searching” amid calls for him to step aside.
“His soul searching is actually happening, I know that for a fact,” the source said. “He’s thinking about this very seriously.”
Democratic Lawmaker Suggest Biden Heading in Direction of Withdrawing: CNN
Representative Adam Smith, a Washington Democrat who has said Biden should step aside, was asked about whether he believes Biden will ultimately end up doing so on CNN Thursday afternoon.
“It seems to be moving in that direction. I think there are still conversations being had,” he said. “But look, the big change that happened in the last 24 hours is that everybody is now getting the impression that the president [is] taking the concerns very seriously.”
Biden ‘Not as Defiant’: CNN
A senior Democratic adviser told CNN that “private conversations” are continuing about the campaign and that Biden is “being receptive” and “not as defiant as he is publicly.” The spokesperson was granted anonymity by CNN, according to the report.
The adviser said, “He’s gone from saying, ‘Kamala can’t win,’ to ‘Do you think Kamala can win? It’s still unclear where he’s going to land but seems to be listening.”
Biden spokesperson Kevin Munoz told CNN, “If the facts matter—and they should—here is one: President Biden is the Democratic nominee and he is going to win this November.”
Biden Friend Suggests He’s Considering Withdrawing: Axios
Axios reported that a friend of Biden, who was not identified, suggested the president may be giving thought to the possibility of withdrawing 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. I pray that he does the right thing. He’s headed that way,” the friend said.
Person Close to Ally Says End Is ‘Close’: NBC News
NBC published a quote from “a person close with Biden” who has previously cast doubt that Biden would withdraw but now views an exit as a possibility.
“We’re close to the end,” the person said.
Uncommon Knowledge
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The post Is Joe Biden Ready to Drop Out of Election? Six Quotes That Say He May Be appeared first on Newsweek.
