Democrats continue to wrestle with the thorny problem of whether to press President Joe Biden to give up his bid for a second term. Discussions held by House and Senate Democrats Tuesday did little to conclusively resolve the question or settle the intraparty divisions that have emerged since Biden’s calamitous debate performance nearly two weeks ago.
Rep. Steven Cohen of Tennessee was asked by reporters if Democrats were on the same page. His response: “We are not even in the same book.”
But Tuesday’s Democratic meetings also suggested that any efforts to collectively push Biden to withdraw could be petering out, even as many lawmakers still say the president must demonstrate to voters that he’s up to the job.
Rep. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey became the seventh House Democrat to publicly call on the president to pull out of the race, but Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, who reportedly had told colleagues privately two days ago that Biden should withdraw, said he would set aside his concerns. “He’s going to be our nominee, and we all have to support him,” Nadler told reporters.
Perhaps most importantly, top party leaders who might hold the most sway with the president have not put any public pressure on him. “As I’ve said before, I’m with Joe,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer repeated in response to three separate questions at an afternoon news conference.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters that the party’s discussions “will continue throughout the balance of the week.”
