Insiders have revealed that President Joe Biden suspects two longtime allies are behind a campaign to remove him from office.
The president is currently recovering from COVID-19 at his beach house in Rehoboth, Delaware, but is reportedly fuming over what he sees as a betrayal.
Several Democratic lawmakers have publicly urged him to step down following his poor performance in last month’s presidential debate with Donald Trump.
The calls for his resignation have intensified in recent days, with media leaks further undermining the president’s chances.
Insiders told the New York Times that Biden suspects former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is stirring the pot, with former running mate Barack Obama acting as a ‘puppet master’ behind the scenes.
Both politicians—along with New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries—have recently been featured in news stories suggesting they are forecasting a significant defeat for the Democrats in November.
Former aides of Barack Obama have also publicly distanced themselves from the president, with no comment yet from Obama himself.
Biden and Obama developed a close friendship while working together during Obama’s two terms in office, but Obama has recently offered little public support for Biden.
The two were seen together at a high-profile Hollywood fundraiser in June, where Obama reportedly expressed shock at the apparent decline in Biden’s condition.
Obama has reportedly advised allies that the president should seriously consider whether to remain in the race, amid growing speculation that he might withdraw within days.
The Washington Post reported Thursday that Obama—who has spoken with Biden only once since the disastrous debate—believes Biden’s chances of victory have significantly dwindled. However, Obama thinks the president needs to make the decision to withdraw on his own.
Meanwhile, public calls from sitting Democrats for Biden to step down are growing, with increasing pressure from Pelosi in particular.
The president is said to have pointed out that those who recently called for his resignation—Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Rep. Adam B. Schiff, and at least nine House Democrats, including Rep. Zoe Lofgren—are all closely connected to Pelosi.
Additionally, this week, Senator Jon Tester of Montana became the second Senate Democrat to urge the president to end his reelection campaign.
On Friday, Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts reiterated his concerns in a Boston Globe article, revealing that his “mentor and friend” Biden did not seem to recognize him during a D-Day commemoration in France in June.
“Of course, that can happen as anyone ages, but as I watched the disastrous debate a few weeks ago, I have to admit that what I saw in Normandy was part of a deeper problem,” Moulton said.
Despite the increasing chorus of dissenting voices, Biden has remained steadfast in his intention to continue his campaign. His team has strongly denied any possibility of an announcement in the coming days.
“I look forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week to continue exposing the threat of Donald Trump’s Project 2025 agenda while making the case for my own record and the vision that I have for America: one where we save our democracy, protect our rights and freedoms, and create opportunity for everyone,” Biden stated on Friday.
Campaign chairwoman Jennifer O’Malley Dillon told MSNBC that the president is “absolutely” still in the race, although she acknowledged the challenging conditions of late.
“The American people know that the president is older,” she said. “They see that.”
“They knew that before the debate. Yes, of course, we have a lot of work to do to make sure that we are reassuring the American people that, yes, he’s old, but he can do the job and he can win,” she added.
Share your thoughts by scrolling down to leave a comment.
