Obama ‘says Biden should think of quitting’ as president ‘set to drop out of White House race as early as the weekend’
FORMER President Barack Obama has reportedly questioned President Joe Biden’s ability to run in the 2024 presidential election.
Obama said Biden, 81, should reconsider his spot in the race as several top Democrats believe Biden could drop out as soon as this weekend.
Obama told allies that his former vice president’s “path to victory has greatly diminished and he thinks the president needs to seriously consider the viability of his candidacy,” per the Washington Post.
The former president’s team has refused to comment, according to Fox News.
Party members shared that Biden is feeling the pressure to exit due to growing concerns about his age and wellbeing.
Concerns grew even more when Biden announced Wednesday that he tested positive for Covid-19, but that he’s “feeling good.”
The diagnosis was shared publicly hours after he said he’d only consider dropping out of the presidential race if he had a medical condition that prevented his run.
Democrat leaders, Biden’s friends, and campaign donors privately told Axios that they don’t think he could win the race against former President Donald Trump.
Dozens of party officials have already called for Biden to step down as fears are growing that Trump could win in a landslide.
A friend of the president said that he’s “headed that way.”
“His choice is to be one of history’s heroes, or to be sure of the fact that there’ll never be a Biden presidential library,” the close friend told the outlet.
“I pray that he does the right thing. He’s headed that way.”
Democrats expect the polls to lean toward Trump as Republican support for him grows following the assassination attempt on him at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13.
Republicans officially named Trump as the GOP presidential nomination for the third time at the Republican National Convention this week.
He’s expected to accept the nomination with a speech on the last day of the RNC Thursday night.
As Republicans stand behind Trump, Biden aides have told Axios that it’s “when, not if” Biden announces that he’s no longer running for president.
Barack Obama and Joe Biden relationship timeline
Former president Barack Obama and Joe Biden have a decades-long relationship and Obama has always stood behind Joe - apparently until now. Here are the latest developments in their relationship.
- June 29, 2024: Obama called in for crisis talks as concerns over Joe Biden’s health continue to mount.
- June 28, 2024: Obama releases a post on X in support of Biden
- June 19, 2024: Obama, appearing at a star-studded fundraiser for the Democratic party, helps Biden off the stage after questions regarding Biden’s health continue to swirl.
Sources previously told ABC News that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are considering delaying the Democrat nomination process.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders also admitted that Biden “can’t put three sentences together,” but that the President still has his support.
“I would much prefer to have somebody who can’t put three sentences together who is setting forth an agenda that speaks to the needs of working-class people,” Sanders told the New Yorker.
Axios previously reported that a Democrat official said that Biden “will not be dragged off the stage.”
“The goal is to let him walk off the stage,” the source said.
Meanwhile, Trump named Ohio Senator JD Vance as his running mate for the presidential election less than 48 hours after the assassination attempt,
RNC attendees celebrated the nomination at the event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Vance is expected to join Trump on the RNC stage to outline their political message ahead of election season.
