What the Democrats’ Divisions Could Mean for the Election

“From Biden’s perspective, perhaps nothing is changing, but everything is changing around him.”

Editor’s Note: Editor’s Note: Washington Week With The Atlantic is a partnership between NewsHour Productions, WETA, and The Atlantic airing every Friday on PBS stations nationwide. Check your local listings or watch full episodes here.

Calls from Democrats for Joe Biden to end his bid for reelection are mounting, with congressional members such as Nancy Pelosi joining those who support an end to his candidacy. Still, many at the core of Biden’s base remain staunchly behind the president, and Democrats continue to face a divide as the election draws nearer.

Many people see what’s going on among Democrats as chaotic, McKay Coppins said last night on Washington Week With The Atlantic, but it’s also the sign of a vital, healthy political party: “There is still a willingness to put pressure on what a lot of Democrats see as an increasingly belligerent and detached-from-reality leader.”

This, Coppins continues, contrasts with the Republican Party: “Donald Trump has, at various points, had the beginnings of a backlash, and he’s always managed to tamp it down.”

For Trump, this week has been no less eventful. Following an assassination attempt at a campaign rally, Trump announced his running mate—Senator J. D. Vance—and dodged prosecution in a federal documents case. And at the Republican National Convention, the week’s events took hold: For many delegates in Milwaukee, Leigh Ann Caldwell said last night, “Trump was a godlike figure.”

Joining the editor in chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, to discuss this and more were Laura Barrón-López, the White House Correspondent for PBS NewsHour; Elisabeth Bumiller, the assistant managing editor and Washington bureau chief of The New York Times; Caldwell, an anchor of Washington Post Live; and Coppins, a staff writer at The Atlantic.

Watch the full episode here.