Top Democrats are putting pressure on Biden as COVID suspends campaign
Due to his advanced
age and the fact that his campaign activities have been suspended owing of a
Covid-19 infection, President Joe Biden is under increased pressure to resign.
US media reports that he visited privately with the two leading Democrats in
the US Congress, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader
Hakeem Jeffries, to voice reservations about his candidacy.
It's also said that Nancy Pelosi, the previous Speaker of the House, informed him he wouldn't be able to defeat Donald Trump in November.
The 81-year-old's symptoms are modest, according to the White House, which announced his Covid illness on Wednesday night.
His press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, reported that the president had received a booster shot. He had previously tested positive for Covid twice.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Biden was spotted attending an event and touring supporters in Las Vegas. Afterwards, he called off a campaign speech.
According to Ms. Jean-Pierre, the president intended to perform "all of his duties fully" while isolating himself in his Delaware house.
Kevin O'Connor, the president's physician, stated that Mr. Biden had received his first dose of Paxlovid and had shown signs of upper respiratory symptoms, such as a runny nose and cough.
According to Dr. O'Connor, he felt well throughout his first event of the day but later tested positive.
Later, Mr. Biden thanked everyone on X/Twitter for "their well wishes" and pledged to "work to get the job done for the American people" throughout his recuperation.
His account also tweeted, "I'm sick," and then, in response, said,
"... of Elon Musk and his rich buddies trying to buy this election."
And please contribute here if you agree.
The tweet linked to a site for donations.
Reporters in Las Vegas earlier on Wednesday claimed that after the announcement, they were hurried from the location of a campaign stop at a Mexican restaurant to the airport in the city.
With Mexican artwork, guitars, and banners hanging from the ceiling, the restaurant was a riot of color. There were posters of "Biden-Harris" on one wall.
Surrounded by a Secret Service escort, Mr. Biden entered the main dining area through the kitchen door while ceiling fans whirled at a low speed and Latino pop music softly streamed from the speakers.
He shook hands, planted a kiss on one, and posed for photographs with diners who had obviously been waiting for him for a while.
In comparison to his energetic speech to a national civil rights group the day before, the president seemed a little stiffer and slower.
Mr. Biden was compelled to postpone his speech at the Latino civil rights organization UnidosUS.
The president has been making an effort to win back Hispanic voters, who have been losing ground to him in polls since 2020.
He was observed ascending the stairs to the plane later on Wednesday, going up
them slowly and carefully. There was no mask on him.
"Good, I feel good," he was recorded saying as he climbed on Air Force One.
It is an abrupt and crippling end to a tour that was meant to see Mr. Biden return to the campaign road in full force following the break caused by the rival candidate Donald Trump's attempted assassination.
Growing disapproval among Democrats in Congress was already battering Mr.
Biden's reelection campaign after his appalling debate performance against
Donald Trump last month.
Air Force One is bouncing through the hot air above Nevada when it hits even
more turbulence, and the president up front takes another unanticipated blow.
It seems like the current election campaign is unfolding at a disorganized,
erratic speed.
The news of Mr. Biden's sickness coincides with increasing calls for him to drop out of the contest.
US media reports that Mr. Schumer and Mr. Jeffries voiced serious concerns that Mr. Biden's candidacy might have a negative effect on other House and Senate contests during their separate private conversations with him.
CNN reports that Ms. Pelosi also informed the president during a recent meeting that polls indicate he may jeopardize the Democrats' chances of winning both the presidency and the House in November.
In recent weeks, nearly two dozen Democratic lawmakers have demanded that Mr. Biden resign. Among them is California congressman Adam Schiff, who expressed grave misgivings about the president's ability to unseat the former Mr. Trump.
Mr. Biden was urged to "pass the torch" by him.
According to Mr. Schiff, Mr. Biden "has been one of the most consequential presidents in our nation's history," and by letting a fellow Democrat run, he might "secure his legacy of leadership."
According to reports from ABC News, the Washington Post, and Politico, Mr. Schumer and Mr. Jeffries, the top two Democrats in Congress, met with Mr. Biden in private recently and shared concerns with other lawmakers that his prominence on the November election ticket might undermine their chances of controlling either chamber of Congress.
Following the claims, White House spokesman Andrew Bates stated, "The president told both leaders he is the party's nominee, he plans to win, and he looks forward to working with both of them to pass his 100 days agenda to help working families."
"It was a private conversation that will remain private," a representative for Mr. Jeffries stated. "Idle speculation," according to Mr. Schumer's office, but he also said that the Democratic leader "conveyed the views of his caucus directly to President Biden."
Mr. Biden stated he did not think he could take over as president with the
nation so "divided" in a BET interview.
Additionally, the
president declared for the first time that if any of his physicians declared he
had a "medical condition," he would think about withdrawing from the
campaign.
