According to a newspaper, US President Joe Biden expressed concern about the prospects for his election campaign in a conversation with an ally. The Democrat is aware that he will have to convince the public in the coming days that he is up to the job, the New York Times quoted an unnamed ally as saying on Wednesday. The White House denied this.
Referring to his weak performance against Donald Trump last week, it was said that Biden knew that if two more such events occurred by the end of the weekend, “we’d be in a different place.” US presidential spokesman Andrew Bates wrote on social media after the article was published: “This claim is absolutely false.” He added: “If the New York Times had given us more than seven minutes to comment on this, we would have told them so.”
The report’s headline said that Biden had told the “key ally” that he was considering continuing his campaign. The report itself did not contain any reference to any such statements by the president. According to the ally, the 81-year-old said that he knew he might not be able to save his candidacy if he could not convince the public of his suitability as a presidential candidate in the coming days.
Shortly after the New York Times report appeared, the US broadcaster CNN published a report with similar content, citing an ally. It was unclear whether the person was the same source. When asked what statement the White House would make on the matter, the spokesman answered curtly: “The same.”
The Democrat’s appearance at the first live debate against Republican Donald Trump had raised concerns about his mental and physical fitness. Pressure on the Democrat is now growing even within his own ranks. The party’s best-known faces have so far refrained from harsh criticism and are publicly supporting Biden. Biden himself has publicly stated that he is sticking to his candidacy.
Biden plans to meet with Democratic governors on Wednesday to secure their support. He plans to give an interview to ABC on Friday. Campaign appearances in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania are also planned for the coming days. He plans to hold a press conference at the NATO summit in Washington next week.
According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll on Tuesday, Biden is neck and neck with the Republican even after the duel with Trump. If he gives up his candidacy, it is unclear who could become the candidate before the election on November 5. According to insiders, Vice President Kamala Harris would be in first place despite all reservations. The 59-year-old has struggled in her position, and many in Biden’s campaign team have long seen her as a potential liability. According to the Reuters/Ipsos survey, she is also effectively neck and neck with Trump. Other possible candidates are doing worse, according to the survey.
2024-07-03 17:57:21