President Joe Biden has emphatically declared that he plans to stay the course and keep going in the 2024 presidential race — but the key voices in his party might not share that same zeal for his candidacy.
As Biden faces growing calls for him to step aside following his fumbling performance in a debate with former President Donald Trump on June 27, key Democratic leaders like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi might be able to put their fingers on the scale to sway the president.
Axios reported on Wednesday, citing three unnamed sources familiar with the matter, that the New York senator privately told donors he’s open to replacing Biden as the party’s presidential nominee.
Schumer, like many other Democratic lawmakers, from Gov. Gavin Newsom to Vice President Kamala Harris, has publicly supported Biden’s candidacy.
When approached for comment, a Schumer representative pointed BI to a statement the senator issued after the Axios story was published.
“As I have made clear repeatedly publicly and privately, I support President Biden and remain committed to ensuring Donald Trump is defeated in November,” Schumer said.
While Schumer appears to still be on the Biden train, Pelosi — unmoored from the trappings of House leadership, having stepped down as speaker — sent some mixed signals about her stance on Wednesday.
During an interview with MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Pelosi declined to give a firm endorsement of Biden staying in the race.
“It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run,” she said. “We’re all encouraging him to make that decision. Because time is running short.”
“I want him to do whatever he decides to do. And that’s the way it is. Whatever he decides, we go with,” Pelosi continued.
A spokesperson for Pelosi later said in a statement to The Washington Post on the same day that the California congresswoman “fully supports whatever President Biden decides to do.”
“We must turn our attention to why this race is so important: Donald Trump would be a disaster for our country and our democracy,” the statement said.
Representatives for Pelosi and Biden didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment from BI sent outside regular business hours.
To be sure, not all Democratic politicians have given up on Biden’s candidacy just yet. In particular, the party’s progressive faction has thrown their support behind the presumptive Democratic nominee.
“Joe Biden is our nominee,” New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told reporters on Monday. “He is not leaving this race. He is in this race, and I support him.”
“The president can win, and I think he will win,” Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders told HuffPost on Wednesday.
For his part, Biden has said that he’s determined to stay on.
“The question of how to move forward has been well-aired for over a week now. And it’s time for it to end,” Biden said in a letter to congressional Democrats on Monday.
“It’s time to come together, move forward as a unified party, and defeat Donald Trump,” the letter continued.
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