Biden's support on Capitol Hill grimly uncertain. A seventh Democrat says he should drop out
The mood on Capitol Hill turned grimly uncertain Tuesday as Democrats wrestled over President Joe Biden바카라 게임 웹사이트s reelection and the extraordinary question before them 바카라 게임 웹사이트 whether to stand behind his candidacy or push the president to bow out amid concerns over his ability to lead them to victory.
House and Senate Democrats met privately with tensions running high. The conversation was 바카라 게임 웹사이트dour바카라 게임 웹사이트 and 바카라 게임 웹사이트sad바카라 게임 웹사이트 in the House, lawmakers said, as they discussed their party leader who emphatically refuses to step aside and implored them in a sharply worded letter to refocus from him to the threat posed by Republican Donald Trump. In the Senate, where Biden spent a storied career, they said even less.
Late in the day, a seventh House Democrat, Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, publicly called on Biden not to run for reelection, saying with Trump seeking to return to the White House, 바카라 게임 웹사이트the stakes are too high 바카라 게임 웹사이트 and the threat is too real 바카라 게임 웹사이트 to stay silent.바카라 게임 웹사이트
What could become a time for Democrats to bolster their president, who remains the favorite for some despite his poor debate performance and public appearances, instead fell deeper into crisis over real fears they could lose the White House and Congress and watch the rise of a second term Trump.
Earlier, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said members had 바카라 게임 웹사이트an opportunity to express themselves in a candid and comprehensive fashion바카라 게임 웹사이트 at a closed-door session and the discussions would continue.
It's a remarkable moment for the president and his party with Democrats in Congress seriously questioning Biden's place at the top of the ticket, weeks before the Democratic National Convention to nominate him for a second term.
Biden바카라 게임 웹사이트s supporters have been emerging as the most vocal, and at least one key House Democrat reversed course to publicly support the president. But no agreement was in sight and an undercurrent of dissent runs strong. As Senate Democrats stayed silent in public, Biden바카라 게임 웹사이트s political future was the remarkable matter in question.
Asked if there was any consensus, Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, one of Biden's closest supporters, said the 바카라 게임 웹사이트consensus is that Donald Trump poses a threat and the focus should be on that.바카라 게임 웹사이트
One Democrat, Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado, said publicly what he told his colleagues in private 바카라 게임 웹사이트 that he believes Trump 바카라 게임 웹사이트is on track win this election 바카라 게임 웹사이트 and maybe win it by a landslide and take with him the Senate and the House.
Stopping short of calling for Biden to drop out, Bennet spoke forcefully on CNN about the danger of a second Trump presidency and said it바카라 게임 웹사이트s up to the president 바카라 게임 웹사이트to consider바카라 게임 웹사이트 the options. He said he did not hear any other Senate Democrat call for Biden to leave the race.
바카라 게임 웹사이트It바카라 게임 웹사이트s not a question about politics,바카라 게임 웹사이트 he said. 바카라 게임 웹사이트It바카라 게임 웹사이트s a moral question about the future of our country.바카라 게임 웹사이트
In the private House meeting Tuesday, there was a growing concern that Biden remaining in the race means the election will center on his age issues instead of Trump, according to one of the people in the room.
At least 20 Democratic lawmakers stood up to speak during the nearly two-hour session in what for many is an existential moment for their country considering a second Trump presidency.
Most of those who spoke wanted Biden to end his candidacy, said another person granted anonymity to discuss the meeting.
Among them was Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, who leads a contingent of military veterans in the House and is among the Democrats who have publicly called for Biden to step aside.
Still others dropped their private concerns in order to back Biden, for now. 바카라 게임 웹사이트He said he바카라 게임 웹사이트s going to remain in, he바카라 게임 웹사이트s our candidate, and we바카라 게임 웹사이트re going to support him,바카라 게임 웹사이트 said Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, on CNN. Over the weekend was among those privately saying Biden should not run.
바카라 게임 웹사이트I바카라 게임 웹사이트m staying with Papa," said Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y.. He said his constituents understand what the country went through during the COVID-19 pandemic and how Biden led through the crisis. "He was fit then and he바카라 게임 웹사이트s fit now.바카라 게임 웹사이트
Many Democrats worry that not only is the presidency in jeopardy but also their own down-ballot races for control of the House and Senate 바카라 게임 웹사이트 and the party's ability to stop Trump and the conservative with its plans to weaken the federal government.
바카라 게임 웹사이트He just has to step down because he can바카라 게임 웹사이트t win,바카라 게임 웹사이트 said Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill.
One Democratic lawmaker who declined to be named said afterward that people love Biden, but there바카라 게임 웹사이트s a real sense of helplessness over the situation and the threat of the consequences if Democrats lose the elections. The lawmaker said the situation was 바카라 게임 웹사이트sad.바카라 게임 웹사이트
After a closed-door Senate lunch meeting, most senators were reluctant to say either that they unequivocally support Biden or that they want to see him step aside.
바카라 게임 웹사이트I think we should do our best job to defeat Trump and I바카라 게임 웹사이트m really excited about it,바카라 게임 웹사이트 said Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.
While there's now more than a handful of House Democrats that have publicly called on Biden to end his candidacy, no Senate Democrat has publicly called for Biden to leave the race.
The majority of Democratic senators who spoke during the lunch meeting expressed deep concerns about whether Biden can beat Trump in November, though they stopped short of saying he should step down from the race, according to a person familiar with the conversation and granted anonymity to discuss it.
There were also a handful of senators who defended Biden. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York repeated, 바카라 게임 웹사이트I바카라 게임 웹사이트ve said before, I'm with Joe.바카라 게임 웹사이트
Some are turning more serious attention to Vice President Kamala Harris as an alternative.
Rep. Jared Huffman of California who is leading the House Democrats바카라 게임 웹사이트 task force fighting Project 2025, said Democrats need to get back to confronting Trump and can win the election with Biden at the top of the ticket.
But he said if Biden바카라 게임 웹사이트s decision to stay on changes 바카라 게임 웹사이트that바카라 게임 웹사이트s not the end of the world, in my view.바카라 게임 웹사이트
바카라 게임 웹사이트I think we바카라 게임 웹사이트ve got an excellent next up in the vice president. She바카라 게임 웹사이트s good, and she바카라 게임 웹사이트s ready to go.바카라 게임 웹사이트
Huffman said Democrats, unlike their House GOP counterparts, can 바카라 게임 웹사이트have principled disagreements without fighting like ferrets in a phone booth.바카라 게임 웹사이트
Republicans face their own history-making political situation, poised to nominate a former president who is the first ever to be convicted of a felony 바카라 게임 웹사이트 in a hush money case 바카라 게임 웹사이트 and who faces federal criminal indictments, including the effort to overturn the 2020 election he lost to Biden.
After a slow initial response to Biden's dismal debate, the White House and campaign team are working more furiously now to end the drama in part by gathering the president's most loyal supporters to speak out.
Biden spent part of his Tuesday evening speaking on a virtual call with more than 200 Democratic mayors, saying he will win reelection with 바카라 게임 웹사이트basic block-and-tackling바카라 게임 웹사이트 and boasting of the thousands of calls being made to voters, doors being knocked and signs being posted in support of his candidacy, according to a readout from his campaign.
That came after the president met virtually late Monday with the Congressional Black Caucus, whose members are core to Biden's coalition, thanking them for having his back, and assuring them he would have theirs in a second term. He was also to meet with the Congressional Progressive Caucus, whose leadership 바카라 게임 웹사이트 along with that of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus 바카라 게임 웹사이트 has said publicly they are sticking with the president.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas, a freshman Democrat, said there is too much at stake to turn away from Biden at this point in the campaign, saying a second Trump presidency would be extremely harmful to Black Americans across the country.
바카라 게임 웹사이트We are not willing to risk our freedoms for somebody feeling good because there바카라 게임 웹사이트s a different name on the ballot,바카라 게임 웹사이트 she said.
Having been on the campaign trail with Biden, Crockett added, 바카라 게임 웹사이트That is why I can feel so confident, because I have seen more than the 90 minutes that everybody is so concerned about.바카라 게임 웹사이트
And Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., who ended his long-shot 2024 Democratic presidential bid months ago, was asked by reporters if he felt vindicated by Democrats calling on Biden to step aside. 바카라 게임 웹사이트If this is vindication, vindication has never been so unfulfilling,바카라 게임 웹사이트 he said.