A strong majority of Democrats want President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race, new polling finds, as faith in his mental fitness drops and Democratic lawmakers are stepping up their efforts to replace him with a different candidate.
AP-NORC’s latest polling released Wednesday finds that 65 percent of Democrats say that Biden should step aside and allow the party to choose a different candidate. Only 35 percent say that he should stay in the race.
Opposition to Biden’s continued candidacy is especially strong among younger people — a key demographic for Democrats — with 75 percent of those aged 18 to 44 agreeing that he should withdraw, though a strong majority of those older than 45 also believe another candidate should be selected.
The findings come amid growing concern over Biden’s health, with only 3 in 10 Democrats saying they’re “extremely” or “very” confident that Biden can effectively serve as president, down by roughly 10 percentage points from a February AP-NORC poll.
These concerns were largely sparked after Biden’s disastrous debate performance at the end of June, though progressives have long been warning Biden that he is risking his chances of winning due to his funding of Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Concerns about his health have compounded in recent weeks, however, with the president doubling down on his candidacy even as he continues to make embarrassing gaffes in every public appearance.
The poll results line up with the stance of many Democrats in Congress, who have escalated efforts in recent days to get Biden to withdraw.
On Wednesday, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-California), who is running for Senate, became the latest Democrat to call on Biden to withdraw, saying that he has “serious concerns” about Biden’s ability to win over Donald Trump and encouraging Biden to “pass the torch.” He is one of the most prominent of roughly 21 Democratic members of Congress who have publicly asked Biden to withdraw so far.
Schiff has a close relationship with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California), who has spent the weeks since the debate making calls behind the scenes to figure out ways to get Biden off the ticket over concerns he’s destroying the party, Politico reported this week.
But crucial deadlines for those wishing to replace Biden are quickly drawing near. Reports have found that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has been working to nominate Biden early in a virtual roll call vote ahead of the Democrats’ convention next month — though DNC officials said on Wednesday that they will not hold that vote until August.
This is later than previously reported planned dates for the early nomination, which could have happened as early as this week.
The delay may have come as a result of pressure to delay the vote by Democratic lawmakers. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) reportedly pushed for a delay — and both have, like Pelosi, been seemingly reconsidering Biden’s candidacy in conversations with donors and lawmakers about how the party should move forward.
Recently, a group of over 30 Democrats reportedly signed a letter denouncing the Democratic National Committee’s plans. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-California), a supporter of the effort, said that the group is no longer sending the letter to the DNC, believing that getting the virtual vote delayed until August was enough of a win.
In the meantime, Biden has become increasingly combative and stubborn in his insistence on staying in the race; recently, in a private call with moderate Democrats, Biden reportedly snapped at Colorado Rep. Jason Crow, who pointed out that the Biden campaign’s messaging on his strength as a world leader has not been “breaking through” to voters.
“You oughta talk about it!” Biden said, according to a recording of the call obtained by Puck News. “On national security, nobody has been a better president than I’ve been. Name me one. Name me one! So I don’t want to hear that crap!”
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