PRESIDENT Joe Biden has finally conceded that he would quit the 2024 race for the White House if “everyone says we want someone else”.
But the bumbling commander-in-chief, fast developing a reputation for painful public blunders, has insisted that won’t happen.
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At the end of a crunch Nato summit in Washington DC this week Biden gave a speech were he introduced Ukraine President Zelensky as “President Putin”.
The offensive mix-up quickly elicited gasps from around the room, filled with leaders and press from across the globe.
Zelensky has been working to protect Ukraine against a brutal onslaught led by Russian dictator Putin for more than two years.
It marked the latest in a string of blunders Biden, 81, has been ridiculed for as even his most senior Democratic colleagues call for him to quit.
Now even former President Barack Obama is thought to be manoeuvring behind the scenes to get him out of the race.
After eight years of working together as President and second-in-command, Obama has privately expressed concerns about Biden’s chances in the 2024 election, CNN reports.
Meanwhile members of the party are reportedly lobbying Obama and senior Democrat Nancy Pelosi to speak up and tell Biden he needs to drop out.
Reports surfaced last week of an anonymous document titled “Unburdened by What Has Been: The Case for Kamala”.
Shared amongst democrats, it lays out a detailed plan for replacing Biden with Vice President Kamala Harris.
While speaking at a news conference yesterday, Biden was asked if he would give his blessing to Democratic colleagues if they choose to shift their support to another candidate.
The question related to an official selection process for the Democratic presidential candidate which will be finalised at their August convention.
He said: “They’re free to do whatever they want.
“Tomorrow, if all of a sudden I show up at the convention and everyone says we want someone else, that’s the democratic process,” he admitted.
But the president swore: “It’s not going to happen.”
Despite swirling concerns about Biden’s capacity, he is at the moment the only acknowledged candidate and therefore likely to remain the Democratic nominee unless that changes.
It would have to change before the convention in August, when the party’s official nominee is selected.
Thursday’s news conference – dubbed the most important of his 52-year political career – was the President’s attempt to quash concerns about his ability to run and win again.
He spoke to press for around an hour and insisted “I’ve got to finish this job”, when pressed by reporters.
Coming only hours after his Zelensky blunder, his attempts at standing firm may have been overshadowed.
He also mixed up Kamala with former President Donald Trump, telling a journalist: “I wouldn’t have picked vice-president Trump to be vice-president if she wasn’t qualified”.
Speaking to a huge crowd earlier on Thursday, Biden had said: “Now I want to hand over to the President of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination. Ladies and gentleman, President Putin.”
He tried to quickly course correct, saying “Going to beat President Putin, President Zelensky. I am so focused on beating Putin,” but the damage was done.
A group of Biden’s closest advisers and aides have reportedly become convinced that he will have to pull out, the New York Times reports.
The paper spoke to three people briefed on the sensitive issue, who said the group of Biden’s colleagues have been trying to come up with ways to convince him to step aside.
Concerns about Biden’s mental fitness hit a new level after a poor performance during his first presidential debate against Trump a few weeks ago.
In an attempt to salvage his reputation afterwards he told ABC that “only the Lord Almighty” could make him pull out of the race.
Days ago he also mistakenly called himself a “black woman” during a radio interview.
The president also appeared to forget the name of Sir Keir Starmer after he became the new UK Prime Minister.
CNN spoke to top House Democrats who dubbed Kamala a much safer alternative for the upcoming November race.
One leader of a major Dem group, who is historically sceptical of Harris’ capacity for success, said: “He’s in such bad shape, but I’ve also had conversations with Democrats about her from some key groups that have been sceptical in the past who believe everyone will rally to her if she’s the nominee”.
How could Biden be removed from race?
Calls for Joe Biden to end his reelection campaign have mounted since his poor presidential debate night performance on June 27
After the debate, the 81-year-old president’s cognitive health concerns were once again a pressing topic among news outlets and his allies in the Democratic Party.
What has Joe Biden said about his future in the race?
- Biden has remained defiant and shot down calls for him to step aside in the upcoming presidential election.
- The Biden administration was forced to deny reports that the president confided to a close ally that he is considering withdrawing from the race.
- In a July 5 interview with ABC News, Biden said that “no one is more qualified” to win the race than him, adding only the “Lord Almighty” could convince him to resign.
- On July 8, Biden sent a scathing letter to Congressional DNC members who have called on him to step down.
- “I want you to know that despite all the speculation in the press and elsewhere, I am firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race to the end, and to beating Donald Trump,” the president wrote.
- Biden proceeded to slam “elites” in a live interview with MSNBC, daring any challenger to run against him.
How could Joe Biden be removed from the ballot?
- Since the June 27 debate night, a growing number of Congressional Democrats have called on Biden to end his reelection campaign.
- So far, five out of the 213 DNC members in Congress have publicly called for Biden to quit the race.
- As Biden continues to emphasize his status in the upcoming election, many are wondering whether the 25th Amendment should be used to oust him.
What is the 25th Amendment?
- The 25th Amendment of the Constitution states the vice president shall replace a president if they die in office or resign or if members of the president’s cabinet declare the president is unable to fulfill the duties of their office.
- Labor Secretary Julie Su, who would need to invoke the 25th Amendment, called the idea “absurd.”
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