Biden Faces Pressure from Within Party to Step Down as Democratic Nominee

Washington D.C., District of Columbia United States of America
Biden's advisers and campaign staff expressing doubts about his ability to win against Trump due to cognitive abilities, fundraising issues, and polling numbers
Discussions include ensuring orderly process should Biden decide to step down, potential replacement of Vice President Kamala Harris as nominee
President Joe Biden facing pressure from within Democratic Party to step down as nominee
Reports come from anonymous sources, not confirmed by White House or Biden campaign
Some Democrats in Congress calling for Biden to reconsider running for re-election
Biden Faces Pressure from Within Party to Step Down as Democratic Nominee

President Joe Biden is facing increasing pressure from within his own party and campaign to step aside and allow someone else to lead the Democratic ticket in the upcoming election. According to multiple reports, some of Biden's closest advisers and campaign staff have expressed doubts about his ability to win against former President Donald Trump, citing concerns over his cognitive abilities, fundraising issues, and polling numbers.

One source told NBC News that 'He needs to drop out... he will never recover from this.' Another person reportedly said they didn't see how the campaign could win with Biden at the helm. These sentiments are not limited to just aides and operatives; even some Democrats in Congress have called for Biden to reconsider his decision to run for re-election.

Despite these concerns, Biden has maintained that he intends to stay in the race. He is scheduled to sit down for an interview with NBC News anchor Lester Holt next week, where he is expected to address these issues directly.

The discussions among Biden's advisers include ensuring an orderly process should he decide to step down and not cause chaos within the Democratic Party. Some have suggested that Vice President Kamala Harris could potentially replace him as the nominee, as she has shown strong polling numbers against Trump in recent surveys.

It is important to note that these reports come from anonymous sources and have not been confirmed by the White House or Biden campaign. However, they do indicate a growing unease within the Democratic Party about Biden's candidacy and his ability to win in November.

The pressure on Biden to quit comes as he prepares for a NATO summit in Brussels, where he will meet with world leaders and discuss key issues facing the alliance. The summit is expected to be a pivotal moment for Biden's presidency, both domestically and internationally.



Confidence

80%

Doubts
  • Anonymous sources used in article
  • No confirmation from White House or Biden campaign

Sources

92%

  • Unique Points
    • They believe they need to convince him that he cannot win against former President Trump in the upcoming election.
    • They are also trying to persuade him that Vice President Harris could potentially beat Trump instead.
    • Discussions among advisers include ensuring an orderly process if Biden were to step down and not cause chaos within the Democratic Party.
  • Accuracy
    • Biden's closest allies, including some campaign officials, believe he needs to drop out of the presidential race.
    • Three people directly involved in efforts to re-elect Biden and other allies have expressed doubts about his ability to win.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

71%

  • Unique Points
    • Three people directly involved in efforts to re-elect Biden and other allies have expressed doubts about his ability to win.
    • Questions surrounding Biden’s cognitive abilities, fundraising issues, and polls have made the campaign unsustainable according to some staffers.
  • Accuracy
    • Discussions among advisers include ensuring an orderly process if Biden were to step down and not cause chaos within the Democratic Party.
  • Deception (0%)
    The article contains multiple examples of deception through selective reporting and emotional manipulation. The author quotes anonymous sources within the Biden campaign stating that Biden 'needs to drop out' and that 'he will never recover.' However, these statements are not verified or attributed to specific individuals. Additionally, the author uses emotionally charged language such as 'toast,' 'intense calls,' and 'stunning report' to manipulate the reader's emotions and create a sensational narrative. The article also implies that there is widespread sentiment within the campaign for Biden to exit, but it does not provide any evidence beyond anonymous sources.
    • This person also said they didn’t see how the campaign could win.
    • He needs to drop out… he will never recover from this.
    • A variety of President Biden’s ‘closest allies,’ including some campaign officials, believe he’s toast, according to an NBC News report that the Biden campaign blasted as ‘patently false.’
    • The set of Democrats who think he should reconsider his decision to stay in the race has grown to include aides, operatives and officials tasked with guiding his campaign to victory. Those who spoke to NBC News said the sentiment that he should exit and leave the Democratic nomination to someone else – most likely Vice President Kamala Harris – is widespread even within the ranks of the campaign and the outside Democratic entities supporting it.
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The article contains multiple instances of appeals to authority fallacy as it relies heavily on anonymous sources within the Biden campaign to make assertions about the internal discussions and sentiments towards President Biden's candidacy. The article also includes inflammatory rhetoric in phrases like 'intense calls for him to step aside' and 'the latest calls are coming from inside the campaign.'
    • > One Biden campaign official allegedly told NBC News: ‘He needs to drop out… he will never recover.’
    • > Another campaign staffer allegedly offered the quote that nobody involved feels he ‘has a path’ to victory.
    • > Those who spoke to NBC News said the sentiment that he should exit and leave the Democratic nomination to someone else – most likely Vice President Kamala Harris – is widespread even within the ranks of the campaign and the outside Democratic entities supporting it.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

84%

  • Unique Points
    • Joe Biden is facing pressure from a growing group of Democratic lawmakers and prominent donors to drop out or consider dropping out of the presidential race following his poor debate performance.
    • “There is a widening gulf between how President Biden's inner circle and the rest of the Democratic Party view his political viability.”
    • Some in Biden's campaign and White House are discussing how to penetrate the inner circle and compel the president to reconsider his candidacy.
    • A survey commissioned by the Biden campaign polled a head-to-head between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, sparking conversations about her potentially replacing Biden atop the ticket.
    • Despite efforts to reassure lawmakers and donors, many remain unconvinced and are expected to withdraw their support following Biden's press conference and the end of the NATO summit.
    • Biden's inner circle, including chief of staff Jeff Zients, counselor to the president Steve Richetti, senior adviser Anita Dunn, deputy chiefs of staff Bruce Reed and Annie Tomasini, senior adviser to the first lady Anthony Bernal, communications director Ben LaBolt and campaign aides Mike Donilon and Jen O'Malley Dillon, have not discussed how or whether Biden should end his campaign.
    • Aides are bracing for a new wave of defections following Biden's press conference and the end of the NATO summit.
  • Accuracy
    • There is a widening gulf between how President Biden's inner circle and the rest of the Democratic Party view his political viability.
    • Some in Biden’s campaign and White House are discussing how to penetrate the inner circle and compel the president to reconsider his candidacy.
  • Deception (50%)
    The article reports on internal discussions and disagreements within the Democratic Party regarding President Biden's political viability. While it does not make any explicit deceptive statements, it does employ sensationalism by implying that there is a 'big, big gulf' between different factions of the party and that some are considering a post-Biden world. Additionally, the article selectively reports details that support the notion of growing unrest within the Democratic Party without providing any counterbalancing information.
    • Many lawmakers are in a wait-and-see mode until Thursday evening, when Biden is scheduled to hold a solo press conference at the conclusion of the NATO summit, a high-stakes moment that his allies have acknowledged needs to go well in order to calm party anxiety.
    • A survey commissioned by the campaign polled a head-to-head between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump as conversations swirl within the Democratic Party about the possibility of her replacing Biden atop the ticket.
  • Fallacies (80%)
    The article contains several instances of appeals to authority and inflammatory rhetoric. The author reports that 'a number of White House and campaign aides feel quite differently' from the president's inner circle, but then quotes an anonymous Democratic operative who says 'The distance between the inner circle and the next ring out is a big, big gulf.' This statement is an appeal to authority because it relies on the opinion of an unnamed source rather than providing evidence or logical reasoning. Additionally, phrases like 'growing group of Democratic lawmakers and prominent donors urging him to drop out' and 'mounting pressure over his candidacy' use inflammatory language that is not supported by the facts presented in the article. The author also reports that a poll was commissioned by the campaign to test Vice President Harris against Trump, but does not provide any information about why this was done or how the results were used. This lack of context makes it difficult to evaluate whether this is a fallacy or simply an accurate report of events.
    • ]a big, big gulf[
    • growing group of Democratic lawmakers and prominent donors urging him to drop out
    • mounting pressure over his candidacy
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

76%

  • Unique Points
    • A chorus of damaging new leaks about President Biden suggest that parts of his inner circle have been compromised
    • The Biden campaign is quietly conducting a survey assessing Vice President Kamala Harris’ polling strength against former President Trump
  • Accuracy
    • Some of Biden's closest allies believe he has no chance of winning
    • They are also trying to persuade him that Vice President Harris could potentially beat Trump instead.
  • Deception (30%)
    The article contains selective reporting and emotional manipulation. The author only reports details that support the narrative of Biden's inner circle wanting him to drop out of the race, while ignoring any counter-narratives or positive information about Biden's campaign. The author also uses emotive language such as 'damaging new leaks,' 'deep-seated anxieties roiling the Democratic Party,' and 'frustrations have penetrated the highest levels of the administration.'
    • The intrigue: The Biden campaign is quietly conducting a survey this week assessing Vice President Kamala Harris’ polling strength against former President Trump,
    • An unnamed Cabinet secretary told CNN that they can’t be certain of Biden’s true condition because they see him so rarely.
    • A small group of longtime Biden aides and advisers have in recent days discussed how to convince the president that he must drop out of the race,
    • The number of elected Democrats who have explicitly called for Biden to leave the race is still relatively low, though some have indicated that they’re waiting for the NATO summit to end.
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The author makes several implicit appeals to authority by citing unnamed sources and reporting from other news outlets. He also uses inflammatory rhetoric in the title and throughout the article, implying that there is a crisis within the Biden administration. However, no explicit logical fallacies were found.
    • ]A small group of longtime Biden aides and advisers have in recent days discussed how to convince the president that he must drop out of the race[
  • Bias (80%)
    The author reports on leaks from inside Biden's inner circle discussing his potential withdrawal from the race and their belief that he has no chance of winning. This reporting is not inherently biased, but the author uses language such as 'damaging new leaks,' 'pressure on Biden to quit,' and 'demoralized staff' which could be perceived as negative and potentially biased against Biden.
    • An unnamed Cabinet secretary told CNN that they can’t be certain of Biden’s true condition because they see him so rarely.
      • A small group of longtime Biden aides and advisers have in recent days discussed how to convince the president that he must drop out of the race,
        • The intrigue: The Biden campaign is quietly conducting a survey this week assessing Vice President Kamala Harris’ polling strength against former President Trump,
          • The number of elected Democrats who have explicitly called for Biden to leave the race is still relatively low, though some have indicated that they’re waiting for the NATO summit to end.
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication