USA Unperturbed Biden confronted with new withdrawal demands
In the debate about US President Joe Biden's suitability as a presidential candidate, another congresswoman has publicly spoken out in favor of the Democrat's withdrawal. "President Biden is a good man and I appreciate his lifelong commitment," wrote Democrat Angie Craig on the online platform X. "But I believe he should make way for the next generation of leadership. There is too much at stake."
07.07.2024, 09:03
SDA
Craig is one of five Democrats in the House of Representatives who have publicly spoken out against Biden. Two other MPs have also made public their assessment that he cannot win against his Republican challenger Donald Trump in the presidential election in November.
The day before, Biden had attempted to dispel the considerable doubts about his suitability in a high-profile TV interview on ABC News - but they persisted. David Axelrod, once former President Barack Obama's chief strategist, commented on this in an opinion piece for CNN entitled "Biden's defiant fallacy". The incumbent must withdraw from the race out of "duty and love for his country", warned Axelrod. Otherwise, Biden's age will determine the rest of the election campaign and not "Trump's moral and ethical emptiness".
Unreasonable Biden relies on God
In the TV interview, journalist George Stephanopoulos gave the oldest US president in history (81 years old) little opportunity to focus on his political successes. The questioner's focus was unreservedly on Biden's suitability for the presidential election campaign.
Biden reacted with a lack of understanding and said, among other things, that only God could persuade him to withdraw. Biden refused a medical test of his mental fitness and questioned his poor poll ratings. He also refused to elaborate on the extent to which his behavior could have a negative impact on the majorities in the US Congress.
Democrats are worried about their own mandates
In addition to the presidency, many seats in parliament will also be up for grabs in the November election. There is growing fear among Democrats that the Republicans could take control of both the White House and Congress in future. So far, however, criticism has tended to be voiced behind closed doors, i.e. communicated indirectly via the US media. There, statements to this effect from employees of unnamed members of Congress are becoming more frequent. These messages could become louder in the coming days - Congress is due to meet for a week. According to reports, further dissenters are expected in the party, who may also be coordinating among themselves.
Wrangling over the narrative
Since his disastrous performance in the first TV duel against Trump, Biden has been fighting on all fronts to save his candidacy. He is also making numerous appearances in front of an audience. Today, Biden is campaigning in Pennsylvania - the state is considered a "swing state" and is therefore particularly important because it cannot be firmly attributed to either the Democrats or the Republicans.
As a sign of unity, Biden joined forces with several allied party colleagues on Saturday, including Senator Chris Coons. Biden's longtime companion told CNN that it was a "constructive, open and positive phone call" in which Biden sought "honest advice". It was agreed that the TV interview had gone well. Biden's campaign team had previously announced that the US President had "exceeded expectations".
Trump team sends out mafia quote
Meanwhile, Trump used Biden's inner-party predicament for his own purposes. "Corrupt Joe Biden should ignore his many critics and press ahead with his powerful and far-reaching campaign with zeal and vigor," the Republican announced sarcastically via his mouthpiece Truth Social. "He should be sharp, precise and energetic, just like in the TV duel."
A short time later, Trump's campaign team sent out an email with a link to the X account of the famous mafia TV series "The Sopranos". The latter had responded to one of Biden's X posts with the quote: "If you have to keep saying you're the boss, you're not the boss." The New York real estate mogul Trump himself has been accused of having links to the mob in the past, but these have never been proven.
Biden has actually already secured the presidential candidacy for his party - he will officially be chosen at the Democratic Party convention, which will take place in Chicago from August 19 to 22. The US President has collected the necessary delegate votes in the primaries. He had no significant competition in the primary campaign. If he were to voluntarily throw in the towel or be forced to drop out, the Democrats would have to agree on a replacement quickly.
