In the lead up to the 2024 elections, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have taken opposing stances on abortion rights. While Biden supports legal access to abortion and encourages Congress to pass a law codifying abortion rights nationwide, Trump has given mixed signals but now says the issue should be left to states.
On July 2, 2024, President Biden addressed members of his administration at an 'extreme weather' event in DC as he faced growing calls from within his own party to withdraw from the election. A post-debate poll released by CNN showed Trump up six points ahead of Biden.
Meanwhile, Texas Democrat Rep. Lloyd Doggett called for Biden to exit the race, adding to the political storm surrounding his campaign.
Despite these challenges, Biden's team was reportedly planning a meeting with Democratic governors on July 2 and considering trips to Wisconsin and Pennsylvania in an effort to shore up support.
Several Democratic governors were also positioning themselves as potential substitutes for Biden in the upcoming election. Gavin Newsom of California, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, and JB Pritzker of Illinois were among those whose names had been floated as possible replacements. However, no elected Democrat at a national level had yet called for Biden to step down despite private concerns about his debate performance.
Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan denied reports of a 'draft Gretchen movement' and insisted she was not behind speculation mooting her as a possible replacement candidate. Biden insiders leaked that Whitmer had relayed to the campaign chair that Michigan was no longer winnable for Biden following the debate.
Democratic congressional candidates were distancing themselves from Biden and his entourage due to concerns about association damaging their own election races.
