President Joe Biden may need to step aside from the 2024 White House contest with Donald Trump. Two significant questions remain: when will this happen, and will he endorse Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement?
Last night, former President Barack Obama made his views known. In comments that reached the Wall Street Journal, Obama reportedly told allies that Biden's chances of winning against Trump are "greatly diminished" and that he should consider quitting. Obama also believes that if Biden continues his campaign, the Democrats could face substantial losses in Congress, jeopardizing his legacy.
This statement is undoubtedly an intervention, and Biden's aides will likely interpret it as such. They accuse Obama of not maintaining party unity behind Joe Biden and failing to stop his friend, George Clooney, a prominent Democratic fundraiser, from writing a critical article in the New York Times calling for Biden to step aside. Additionally, Obama's former aides have openly criticized Biden.
Speculation abounds. What if the U.S. President hadn't delivered a problematic television appearance three weeks ago? He did, and it was always possible, given the ongoing concerns about his well-being. Polling suggests that Biden will struggle to change public perceptions about his age and mental acuity.
Despite these challenges, the Joe Biden camp blames Obama, Nancy Pelosi (the former House Speaker who is reportedly leading the campaign to oust him), and a perceived media "feeding frenzy." However, Biden's aides have been concealing growing concerns about his fitness for this campaign and, ultimately, the presidency.