By Jerald Jimenez
18 Jul 2024, 10:25 AM EDT
President Joe Biden may be more open to hearing advice suggesting he drop out of the presidential race, according to multiple reports close to the president.
According to the New York Times, citing sources within the Democratic Party, the president is more “receptive” to hearing arguments about his withdrawal from his re-election bid.
The report comes after the party’s two top leaders in Congress privately said they were concerned about the party’s electoral aspirations.
Meanwhile, a senior Democratic aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, also told CNN that Biden “is being responsive. Not as defiant as he is in public.”
A recent private conversation between former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Biden revealed that the official showed the president that polls indicate he cannot defeat Trump, according to the aforementioned media outlet. It added that his candidacy could jeopardize the Democratic Party’s chances of winning the House of Representatives.
The Washington Post, meanwhile, noted that the most serious political crisis of Biden’s presidency was aggravated when Adam Schiff, a House Democrat and a front-runner in the California Senate race, called for him to withdraw as his party’s candidate.
Biden stands firm, but willing to listen
Despite constant pressure, Biden “has given no indication that he is changing his mind about staying in the race,” according to the Washington Post’s sources, although he is willing to listen to advice.
Biden has also expressed interest in how Vice President Kamala Harris might win in November’s presidential election, in which Democrats will face former President Donald Trump.
Biden is taking a more tolerant stance in private than he did last week, when he lashed out at several House Democrats who pressured him to step down.
With information from the New York Times / CNN / EFE