Joe Biden faces renewed calls to drop reelection bid

US President Joe Biden encountered fresh political challenges Wednesday as a prominent Democrat urged him to abandon his reelection campaign, coinciding with growing backlash over plans for a virtual nomination before the party conference.

California Representative Adam Schiff called on Biden to “pass the torch,” becoming one of the highest-profile Democrats to do so since the assassination attempt against Donald Trump. Schiff’s comments came just before Biden was scheduled to deliver a speech courting Latino voters in the battleground state of Nevada.

The 81-year-old Biden has been struggling to maintain his candidacy since a problematic debate against Trump nearly three weeks ago. His tired and confused appearance during the debate raised concerns about his age.

“A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November,” Schiff said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.

Schiff, a key White House ally in the legislature and lead prosecutor during Trump’s first impeachment trial, is expected to win a Senate seat this November.

Calls from Democrats for Biden to step aside were temporarily silenced by the assassination attempt on Trump but have since resumed with renewed vigor. Approximately 20 House Democrats and one senator have now called for Biden to exit the race, but Biden remains resolute, asserting he is the best candidate to defeat Trump.

Most polls indicate Biden trailing in a close race, with Trump gaining ground in key swing states. However, there has been no significant shift since the debate or the shooting incident.

In an NBC interview on Monday, Biden defended his mental sharpness, describing it as “pretty damn good.” He attributed his debate performance to illness and jetlag, while his campaign characterized his recent verbal missteps as typical for someone with a long history of gaffes.

With pressure mounting, Democrats announced plans on Wednesday for a virtual nomination for Biden during the first week of August, ahead of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on August 19. Some Democrats criticized this approach, accusing the party of trying to force Biden’s candidacy without a thorough discussion of alternative options.

Vice President Kamala Harris is considered the leading contender if Biden withdraws, though he has shown no indication of doing so.

Party leaders emphasized the necessity of conducting the virtual roll-call by August 7 to meet the submission deadline set by Republican-led Ohio. Without this, Biden risks not being on the ballot in Ohio, the home state of Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance. Although Ohio’s governor signed a law extending Biden’s timeline, the DNC expressed concerns about potential legal challenges.

The DNC’s rules committee assured lawmakers in a letter obtained by AFP that “no virtual voting will begin before August 1,” aiming to finalize decisions next week. “None of this will be rushed,” the letter stated. “No matter what may be reported, our goal is not to fast-track.”

Despite Biden’s insistence on Democratic voter support, an Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll released Wednesday indicated that nearly two-thirds of Democrats want him to step aside.