Castro, a former housing secretary running against Biden for the Democratic nomination in 2020, was quoted by the New York Times (“NYT”) as saying, “What you’re really looking at is a president who is in a bubble, blind to reality.”
“The president is proud of his balance sheet,” Axelrod wrote on the online site X (Twitter). “But he’s dangerously alienated from people’s concerns about his abilities and his standing in this race.”
Biden remains committed to his candidacy
US President Joe Biden is not considering withdrawing his bid for the White House. This became clear during an interview with ABC News.
ABC interview: Biden believes he’s the best candidate
A 20-minute conversation with ABC News was actually intended to minimize the damage. While Biden tried to focus on the successes of his tenure, journalist George Stephanopoulos didn’t shy away from his underlying topic of continued relevance. It is not about political content.
At age 81, the oldest US president in history responded illogically, saying, among other things, that only God could compel him to withdraw. Biden questioned polls that showed him steadily losing support in recent days.
Stephanopoulos also refused a medical examination to determine his sanity despite repeated requests. He declined to elaborate on what would happen if confidants warned his behavior would have a negative impact on the majority in the US Congress. “Everybody’s telling him to stay in the race,” Biden said.
“Interviewing is necessary, but not sufficient”
“This interview is necessary but not sufficient,” said senior Democratic strategist Paul Pegala, according to the NYT. “This will not assuage the growing anger and resentment among Democrats. Nothing short of a Simone Biles triple flip with President Biden’s double flip will make Democrats forget this debate.
Republican presidential candidate and former US president Donald Trump also responded to the interview: “Corrupt Joe Biden must ignore his many critics and move forward with zeal and vigor on his powerful and visionary campaign.”
ORF Analysis: Alternatives to Biton
In an interview with ABC, US President Joe Biden sought to dispel concerns about his candidacy. Obviously he didn’t succeed. ORF reporter Christophe Kohl reports from Washington on whether there really is a quick replacement for Biden.
Unrest behind the scenes
In the November election, in addition to the presidency, several seats in parliament will be up for grabs. Fears are growing among Democrats that Republicans could control both the White House and Congress for the foreseeable future. A few Democratic members of the House of Representatives have already publicly called on Biden to drop out of the race, and some have made public their assessment that Biden cannot win against his Republican rival, Trump.
Democratic Rep. Angie Craig called on Biden to back off on Saturday, the Washington Post reported: “After what I saw and heard from the president during last week’s debate in Atlanta, the lack of a strong response from the president. In this debate, the president can effectively campaign and win against Donald Trump.” I don’t believe that.
High level democratic meeting
However, doubts about the Democratic Party’s relevance are still expressed behind closed doors, with criticism channeled indirectly through the US media. Corresponding reports from the staff of unnamed members of Congress are piling up there. The news could get even louder in the coming days — Congress has a week of sessions. Reports suggest that more dissidents are expected in the party.
Senator Mark Warner, for example, is trying to rally a group of Democrats behind him to convince him to drop out of the race. According to reports, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries plans to meet with senior Democrats in his chamber on Sunday to discuss the situation.
“Biden is our man”
However, Biden is also gaining public support, for example from his longtime party colleague, Senator Chris Coons. He praised Biden’s political performance in X, writing: “I can’t wait to continue the fight against Trump and help him win in November.”
Democratic MP Mike Quigley, who publicly called for Biden’s resignation shortly before the interview aired, contradicted Fetterman on CNN: “The president of the United States needs the spine to recognize that he doesn’t have the energy to deal with the deficit here, and it’s going to affect all of us. Biden California Governor Gavin also received support from Newsom, who is seen by some as Biden’s successor.
A devastating TV fight
A week ago, Biden made a disastrous appearance in his first televised showdown with his Republican opponent, Trump, making too many promises and losing the thread. Since then, debate has erupted in the US over whether Biden is still the right Democratic presidential candidate to defeat Trump again.
Since then, Biden has been fighting on all fronts to save his candidacy and has relied on numerous campaign appointments. In a television interview on ABC News, he said he had no major flaws or faults, but struggled for words at times. According to the broadcaster, the interview was broadcast uncut.
Biden has actually already committed to being his party’s presidential nominee — he will be officially chosen at the Democratic convention in Chicago from August 19 to 22. The President of the United States collects the necessary delegate votes in the primaries. He had no significant competition in the primary election campaign. If he voluntarily steps down or is forced to drop out, Democrats will need to quickly adopt a replacement as the election nears.
