Biden’s botched TV debate is having a wider impact. Reports from the New York Times and CNN about the US President’s alleged thoughts of resigning were promptly followed by a clear denial from the White House.
According to insiders, US President Joe Biden has shown his determination to run for the Democrats in the presidential election in a phone call with his campaign team. “I am running,” he declared on Wednesday. His spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre also responded to the question of whether the 81-year-old was considering backing out after his election debate, which was widely viewed as weak: “Absolutely not.”
A report in the New York Times newspaper caused a stir, according to which Biden had expressed concern to an ally about the prospects for his election campaign. The Democrat is aware that he will have to convince the public in the coming days that he is up to the job, the New York Times quoted an unnamed ally as saying on Wednesday. According to him, the 81-year-old said that he knew that he might not be able to save his candidacy if he could not convince the public in the coming days of his suitability as a presidential candidate.
Referring to his weak performance against Donald Trump last week, Biden was said to know that if two more such events occurred by the end of the weekend, “we’re in a different place.”
White House denies New York Times report
The report’s headline said Biden told the ally he was considering continuing his campaign. The report itself contained no reference to any such statements by the president.
US broadcaster CNN also reported, citing an unnamed ally of Biden, that he had admitted that the next few days were crucial to saving his re-election. “He sees the moment. He has a clear view,” the person said, according to CNN. “The poll numbers are falling, fundraising is drying up, and interviews are going poorly. He is not inattentive.” It was unclear whether the person was the same source.
The White House has rejected the New York Times report. “This claim is absolutely false,” a spokesman for the government headquarters said when asked. “If the New York Times had given us more than seven minutes to comment on this, we would have told them so.” When asked what statement the White House would make on the CNN report, the spokesman answered curtly: “The same.”
Calls for Joe Biden’s resignation grow louder
In addition, a high-ranking Democrat spoke for the first time about the possible procedure after Biden’s departure. Representative Jim Clyburn – who enjoys a reputation as a kingmaker among the Democrats – told CNN that there could be “mini primaries”. If Vice President Kamala Harris were to run as a candidate for the presidential election, she would also need a new running mate herself. “And so all of this would give us the opportunity to not only look at who should be at the top of the list, but also who would be best suited to be second.” Clyburn had already spoken out on Tuesday in favor of Harris as a replacement candidate should it come to that.
Former President Donald Trump’s campaign team has already launched a verbal frontal attack on the Democrat: “Democrats are beginning to rally behind Kamala Harris as it can no longer be denied that Joe Biden is unfit for office,” said an email from the Republican opposition. Trump’s team painted an enemy image of a politician from the US state of California, known as a Democratic stronghold, and listed everything that speaks against a Harris presidency.
Disastrous TV debate for Biden
Last week, Democrat Biden put in a disastrous performance in a TV debate against his challenger Donald Trump. Meanwhile, pressure on the Democrat is also growing within his own ranks. The party’s best-known faces have so far refrained from harsh criticism and are publicly supporting Biden.
The White House is trying to dispel doubts about his suitability for the office and to make people forget his botched television appearance as best it can.
Biden plans to meet with Democratic governors today to secure their support. He plans to give a television interview on Friday. Campaign appearances in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania are also planned for the coming days. Next week he plans to hold a press conference at the NATO summit in Washington.
Note: This article has been updated several times.