US President Joe Biden will meet with Democratic governors on Wednesday and speak to lawmakers to reassure them of his suitability as the party’s reelection candidate after his disastrous performance in a debate last week against Republican Donald Trump.
Biden spoke on Tuesday with Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic minority leader in the House of Representatives, and on Wednesday with Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Senate majority leader, a White House official said.
Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn — an influential figure within the party who was instrumental in Biden’s 2020 primary victory — told CNN on Wednesday that the party should hold a “mini-primary” if Biden drops out, the first member to speak publicly about how, exactly, the process of replacing Biden would work.
Clyburn, who said Tuesday he would support Vice President Kamala Harris as his presidential nominee if Biden steps aside, added: “If she were the nominee, we would need a strong running mate. So this would give us an opportunity to evaluate not only who would be good at the front of the ticket, but who would be better at the back.”
Biden will meet with Democratic governors at 7:30 p.m. (Brasilia time). The meeting is expected to be virtual for those who were unable to make it to Washington.
Biden’s poor performance in the debate against Trump in Atlanta last week has sparked calls to abandon his bid for reelection on November 5. Trump has repeated a series of falsehoods, including that he won the 2020 election.
Democrats raised fresh concerns about Biden on Tuesday, with one House member calling on him to step aside and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a longtime Biden ally, saying it was legitimate to ask whether the president’s performance in Atlanta was an “episode” or a condition?
Biden said he was tired after two trips abroad, and the White House said he had a cold. His campaign has held damage-control calls with donors, and Biden has shown no sign so far of abandoning his quest for a second term.
Some governors are potential rivals for Biden if pressure mounts for him to step aside, but many of them are also official Biden surrogates with roles in his campaign.
Kamala is the likely successor if Biden steps down, multiple sources told Reuters. However, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear have all been mentioned as possible replacements for Biden if he decides to drop out of the campaign.
Source: Terra
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