Joe Biden is weighing whether to end his 2024 presidential re-election bid if his campaign is unable to recover from last Thursday’s disastrous debate performance. The 81-year-old Democrat told a close ally that his candidacy is likely unsalvageable unless he can quickly convince voters that he is healthy enough to serve as President.
“He knows if he has two more events like that, we’re in a different place,” the individual told The New York Times, referring to Biden’s shocking cognitive impairment during his debate with former President Donald J. Trump. While the ally said that—as of now—Biden intends to continue with the presidential race, they contend that if the octogenarian Democrat has any more concerning cognitive moments in the next few days, that decision will likely change.
The Biden ally argues that the next few days are critical for the Democratic incumbent. Biden is scheduled to sit with ABC News’s George Stephanopoulos on Friday and make campaign stops in several key swing states over the weekend. They contend that if these appearances do not go well, Biden will have no choice but to end his re-election campaign.
Biden White House spokesman Andrew Bates called the reporting by The New York Times “absolutely false.”
The fallout from Biden‘s debate failure has caused panic in Democrat ranks, with some party leaders openly calling for the 81-year-old to drop out of the presidential race.
Meanwhile, other senior Democratic Party officials appear to be trying to encourage their colleagues to consolidate around Vice President Kamala Harris as a replacement candidate—signaling at least some believe the end of Biden’s re-election campaign is inevitable.
show less
