President Joe Biden privately accepts the possibility that he may be compelled to withdraw from the race. He might make this decision as early as the upcoming weekend.
Following weeks of both public and private distress expressed by several Democratic leaders, the concerns escalated after Biden's lackluster performance in the debate against former President Donald Trump in Atlanta last month.
Biden has consistently affirmed his determination to remain in the race and has endeavored to reassure allies and donors of his capability to proceed with an intensive public events and interviews schedule. On Thursday morning, Biden's campaign reaffirmed the president's dedication to running against Trump in the November election.
However, it has had minimal impact. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) have privately attempted to influence his departure recently.
Furthermore, Joe Biden is currently in isolation at his residence in Delaware following a positive COVID-19 test result, experiencing relatively moderate symptoms. Ironically, this occurred shortly after he mentioned that a "medical" problem was one of the few factors that could force him to withdraw from the campaign.
Unnamed Democratic sources speaking to Axios have revealed that Biden is accepting the increasing pressure, negative polling, and unsustainable scrutiny, which have rendered it impracticable for him to continue his candidacy.
"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," a close pal of President Joe Biden told Axios, adding, "I pray that he does the right thing. He's headed that way."
According to the source, senior Biden advisors think it is inevitable that a statement of withdrawal from the race will be made soon.
The subsequent course of action is uncertain if President Joe Biden decides to step down. Some members of the Democratic party seem to advocate for an open convention. However, the most probable successor would be Vice President Kamala Harris, who would face only minor legal obstacles in continuing the current campaign efforts.