Retreat at the weekend?

Biden’s entourage: “He’s starting to come to terms with it”

Some people close to him say that he seems to be slowly accepting the fact that he has to withdraw from the election campaign.(Bild: AFP/Saul Loeb)

Due to the enormous pressure from his own party, US President Joe Biden is apparently no longer categorically ruling out withdrawing from the race for a second term in office. The "New York Times" reported, citing people close to the 81-year-old Democrat, that he seems to be slowly accepting that he may have to give up his election campaign.

He has "begun to come to terms with the idea that he may not be able to win in November and may have to drop out of the race to meet the growing demands of many concerned members of his party," the newspaper writes. However, Biden has not yet made a decision, the paper continues.

Resignation demands rejected so far
So far, the President has publicly and rigorously rejected all calls from his own party to resign. His campaign team also insists that Biden has no intention of resigning. Recently, however, the internal party pressure on him has increased enormously.

He seems to be slowly accepting the fact that he has to leave the election campaign, say some people close to him about US President Biden.(Bild: AFP/Saul Loeb)

An exit is only a matter of time. "I know for a fact that he's really doing some soul-searching," said a person familiar with the matter who wished to remain anonymous. "He's thinking about it very seriously." Another Democratic insider said that Biden, who is currently suffering from coronavirus, had recognized the signs of the times: "It feels like it's a question of ... when, not if. When, not if."

"Exit only a matter of time"
One of the people close to Biden told the New York Times that it would come as no surprise if Biden were to announce his retirement soon and put forward his deputy Kamala Harris as his presidential candidate for the November election. An exit is only a matter of time. According to the news portal "Axios", it could be as early as the weekend, citing personal talks with Democratic party leaders.

The Washington Post, citing three members of Congress, reported that Nancy Pelosi, a confidante of Biden and former Democratic leader of the US House of Representatives, had told several party colleagues in the House that she believed Biden could be persuaded to withdraw from the presidential race very soon. She also had serious doubts that he could win the election in November against the Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Pelosi's office did not initially respond to inquiries.

The key Democratic figure Nancy Pelosi(Bild: AP/Susan Walsh)

Biden's deputy campaign manager, Cedric Richmond, told MSNBC that the reporting was wrong. The president had said he was running. Quentin Fulks, another deputy campaign manager, had previously made a similar statement. The president is not undecided and has made his decision, he said. Biden is running. The election campaign is progressing.

Doubts about Biden's mental state
Due to his advanced age and doubts about his mental state, Biden is facing an internal party rebellion. Since a disastrous performance in a televised duel against Trump at the end of June, various Democratic MPs have openly called on him to drop out of the presidential race. Many others have publicly expressed great concern about his election chances.

Recently, prominent Democrats have also dared to speak out. And according to media reports, the very front row of the party is now also urging Biden to withdraw behind the scenes.

Due to an infection with the coronavirus, Biden is currently not making any public appointments. He has retreated to his private home in Rehoboth Beach in the US state of Delaware.