Democratic leaders pressure Biden to drop out of race

Joe Biden faced new turmoil on Wednesday as a top Democrat urged him to abandon his re-election bid and opposition grew over plans for a virtual nomination before the party convention.

Rep. Adam Schiff of California urged Biden to “pass the torch,” becoming one of the highest-profile Democrats to do so and the first to do so since the assassination of Donald Trump.

The key congressional powerbroker spoke shortly before Biden was set to make his latest effort to solidify his candidacy, courting support from Latino voters in the battleground state of Nevada.

Biden, 81, has been fighting for his political survival since his disastrous debate with Donald Trump nearly three weeks ago, in which his tired and confused appearance raised concerns about his age.

“A second Trump presidency would undermine the foundations of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the president can defeat Donald Trump in November,” Schiff said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.

Schiff, who is expected to win a Senate seat in November, is a key White House ally in the legislature and gained national prominence as the lead prosecutor in then-President Trump’s first impeachment trial.

Democratic calls for Biden to step down, which had been muted following Saturday’s assassination of his Republican rival, Donald Trump, have regained momentum.

Currently, about 20 House Democrats and one senator have called on Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, but Biden has refused, insisting that he is most likely to defeat Trump.

Most polls show Biden trailing in a tight race and Trump leading in key swing states, but there have been no dramatic shifts since the debate debacle or the shooting.

“Pretty good”

Biden said in an interview with NBC on Monday that his mental acuity is “pretty good,” one of a series of unplanned appearances in recent weeks aimed at proving he has what it takes.

He blamed illness and jet lag for the debate, while his campaign said the recent string of gaffes was par for the course for a man known for his frequent gaffes during a political career that spanned more than four decades.

As pressure mounts on Biden, Democrats said on Wednesday they plan to hold a virtual nomination for the president in the first week of August, before the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on August 19.

Some Democrats slammed the plan, accusing the party of trying to ram through Biden’s candidacy and avoid fully discussing other options.

If Biden does drop out, Vice President Kamala Harris is considered the front-runner, though he has not shown any signs of doing so.

Party leaders say they need to hold a virtual roll call by Aug. 7, the deadline set by Republican-led Ohio for submitting nominations.

Otherwise, Biden would risk failing to capture votes in Ohio, the home state of Trump’s new running mate, JD Vance.

Although Ohio’s governor has signed a law giving Biden more time, the Democratic National Committee has expressed concerns about further legal challenges.

In a letter to lawmakers obtained by AFP, the Democratic National Committee’s rules committee said “no virtual voting will begin before August 1,” adding that the committee plans to make a final decision next week.

“None of this will be rushed,” the statement said. “Our goal is not to rush the process, regardless of what has been reported.”

But according to US media reports, several lawmakers plan to sign a letter opposing the virtual nomination plan, and others have also criticized it.

Biden insists Democratic voters support him, but a poll Wednesday from The Associated Press and the National Center for Public Affairs Research, a national polling center, shows nearly two-thirds of voters want him out of office.