Janice R. Andrews
WASHINGTON As a result of his COVID-19 diagnosis, President Joe Biden is presently sequestered and feeling more and more helpless in his Delaware beach house. Feeling betrayed by friends and sensing a planned attempt to remove him from the race, Biden has been fuming, particularly toward those he used to be close confidants of, like Barack Obama, his former running mate.
Increasing Distress with Political Partners
Having spent decades in politics, Biden believes that the media’s latest leaks are part of a larger effort to dissuade him from office. According to close sources, he believes that Obama was heavily involved behind the scenes, and that Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the former Speaker of the House, was the main catalyst. This internal conflict is unusual in the history of Washington politics, particularly in light of the fact that the Democrats who are now pushing him to go were crucial to his earlier victories.
Achievements and Dissatisfaction of Biden
With Obama’s support, Biden went from being a consistent presidential candidate to the vice presidency and ultimately to the White House in 2020. Passage of Biden’s historic legislative accomplishments was made possible in large part by Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. But close sources of Biden’s depict a president facing the most dangerous period of his term, coughing, hacking, and struggling with COVID-19 in solitude more than a hundred miles from Washington’s power corridors.
News reports featuring Schumer, Pelosi, Obama, and House Democratic Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York warning of a disastrous defeat for the party in November have Biden watching with growing annoyance. Obama’s quiet and the outspoken requests for Biden to step down made by his former advisers are interpreted as implicit messages from the former president’s team. Considering that Biden and Obama have been partners for eight years, this hidden but tangible influence gives the drama a Shakespearean quality.
Public Disobedience and Private Acceptance
In private, Biden is accepting the prospect of withdrawing from the race, even though he has officially said he is still running. A few assistants have started talking about possible times and locations for this kind of announcement. The fact that Biden is reluctant to take any big actions prior to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s impending visit to Washington is one important element that could cause this decision to be delayed. With their tense relationship stemming from the Gaza Strip battle, the president is unlikely to provide Netanyahu any comfort.
Since Biden is known to become irritable when under pressure, people who put him under risk making him more determined to finish the race. It was Friday afternoon, and he still hadn’t decided. Biden’s personal annoyances also target Obama and the staff of former President Bill Clinton. Especially after he led a better-than-expected midterm in 2022, he finds it especially frustrating that people responsible for the historic Democratic losses in the 1994 and 2010 midterm elections are now lecturing him on party strategy.
Political Factors and Legislative Requests
Congressman Gerald E. Connolly, D-Virginia, who has not publicly urged Biden to resign, emphasized the harsh reality of politics and the suffering of the current circumstance. A growing number of Democrats in Congress are openly pushing the president to hand the reins over to a successor. Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, and at least nine House Democrats—among them, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a longtime supporter of Pelosi—are among them.
It’s no accident that Pelosi’s supporters, who are demanding that Biden resign, have shown up at his holiday home on Rehoboth Beach. An official in the Biden administration observed that although ally Rep. Adam B. Schiff was speaking out earlier this week, the narrative was being driven by Pelosi’s influence.
Borderlined Connections and Open Declarations
Not just Pelosi’s supporters are making noise. Pelosi opponent Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., gave a moving story of how Biden appeared to be unaware of him at a recent event, indicating a more serious issue. Moulton’s open appeal for Biden to resign heightens the strain.
In a statement released on Friday, Biden vowed to carry on his campaign in spite of the pressure. “Next week, I’m excited to return to the campaign trail and continue highlighting the dangers posed by Donald Trump’s Project 2025 agenda, all the while promoting my own record and vision for America—one in which we preserve democracy, uphold individual liberties, and provide opportunity for all,” he declared.
Reports of Biden’s imminent withdrawal have been refuted by the White House and his campaign. On MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” campaign chair Jennifer O’Malley Dillon restated that Joe Biden is still in the running. She acknowledged the past few difficult weeks, but she insisted that support from voters hasn’t decreased all that much.
Seclusion and Upcoming Projects
Alongside Biden, who is in seclusion at Rehoboth, are his assistants, Annie Tomasini and Steve Ricchetti, as well as Anthony Bernal, the chief of staff for the first lady. Biden may still make it back to Washington on schedule even though he is coughing and hoarse. A delayed commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act at the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library is planned, which may involve a travel to Austin, Texas.
Intricate Relationships with Obama
Obama and Biden’s recent spat is a new development in their nuanced relationship. After Biden’s son Beau passed away in 2015, the two, who had not been close when they first teamed up in 2008, became close throughout their two stints in the White House. But Biden has been resentful ever since Obama dissuaded him from seeking the presidency in 2016 in favor of Hillary Clinton.
Obama has avoided giving direct counsel because it might not be helpful at this time. Prior to the most recent debate, Obama and Biden met at a well-known Hollywood fundraiser, where the former president is said to have been taken aback by the former’s seeming aging and confusion.
Credit and Public Difficulties
The fundraising served as Biden’s campaign’s final significant financial boost. It had hoped to raise $50 million this month, but after the debate, it might only have raised half that much. The campaign is already struggling financially, and many of Biden’s allies are reluctant to criticize him in public for fear that it will backfire and strengthen his determination.
Privately, many more members of Congress concur with the roughly 40 who have publicly called for Biden to withdraw from the race. According to two House Democrats, between 70% and 80% of their colleagues would favor Biden’s withdrawal in a secret ballot vote.
Supporting Biden’s Run for Office
Sen. Chris Coons, a Democrat from Delaware, is one of Biden’s allies who still supports his eligibility for a second term. During his speech at the Aspen Security Conference, Coons emphasized Biden’s capacity to lead the country going forward while highlighting his recent successes.
Biden’s next steps in this high-stakes political drama are still up in the air, but there is no denying that pressure is building inside his party, which will make for an exciting run-up to the election.
