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A2 UP FRONT
Friday 19 July 2024
Obama, Pelosi and other Democrats make a fresh push for Biden

to reconsider 2024 race

Continued from Front Influential Democrats atop Democratic strategist.
the party apparatus, includ- And on Wednesday, Cali-
Obama has conveyed to ing congressional leadership fornia Rep. Adam Schiff, a
allies that Biden needs to headed by Senate Majority close ally of Pelosi, called for
consider the viability of his Leader Chuck Schumer and Biden to drop his reelection
campaign but has also House Democratic Leader bid, saying he believes it's
made clear that the deci- Hakeem Jeffries, are send- time to "pass the torch."
sion is one Biden needs to ing signals of concern. Some Biden, in a radio interview
make. The former president Democrats hope Biden, off taped just before he tested
has taken calls in recent days the campaign trail after test- positive for COVID-19, dis-
from members of congres- ing positive for COVID-19, will missed the idea it was too
sional leadership, Democratic take a fresh look at the tra- late for him to recover po-
governors and key donors to jectory of the race and his litically, telling Univision's Luis
discuss their concerns about legacy over the coming days. Sandoval that many people
his former vice president. Using mountains of data don't focus on the November
Biden has insisted he's not Former President Barack Obama speaks in Athens, Greece, showing Biden's standing election until September.
backing down, adamant that June 21, 2023. could seriously damage the "All the talk about who's lead-
he's the candidate who beat Associated Press ranks of Democrats in Con- ing and where and how, is
Trump before and will do so on anything." This story is based in part on gress, frank conversations in kind of, you know — every-
again. Pressed about reports If anything, in recent days the reporting from more than half public and private and now thing so far between Trump
that Biden might be soften- president has become more a dozen people who insisted the president's own few days and me has been basically
ing to the idea of leaving the committed to staying in the on anonymity to discuss sensi- of isolation, many Democrats even," he said in an excerpt
race, his deputy campaign race, according to one per- tive private deliberations. The see an opportunity to encour- of the interview released
manager Quentin Fulks said son familiar with the internal Washington Post first reported age a reassessment. He has Thursday. Biden said Monday
Thursday: "He is not wavering discussions. on Obama's involvement. been told the campaign is he hadn't spoken to Obama
having trouble raising money. in a couple of weeks.
If Democrats are seriously pre- While the attention to Biden
paring the extraordinary step has subsided somewhat, par-
of replacing Biden and shift- ticularly after last weekend's
ing to Vice President Kamala Trump assassination attempt
Harris at the top of the ticket, and as the Republican Na-
this weekend will be critical tional Convention is under-
to changing the president's way in Milwaukee, Democrats
mind, other people familiar know they have limited time
with the private conversa- to resolve the party turmoil
tions said. after the president's falter-
One said it's now or never ing debate performance
ahead of a planned virtual last month.
roll call to nominate the par- To be sure, many want Biden
ty's choice in early August, to stay in the race. And the
ahead of the Democratic Democratic National Com-
National Convention in Chi- mittee is pushing ahead with
cago. plans for a virtual vote to for-
Over the past week, Schumer mally make Biden its nominee
and Jeffries, both of New in the first week of August,
York, have spoken privately ahead of the Democratic
to the president, candidly National Convention, which
laying out the concerns of begins Aug. 19.
Democrats on Capitol Hill. Rep. James Clyburn, a senior
Control of the House and Sen- Democrat who has been a
ate is at stake, and leaders key Biden ally, wrapped up
are keenly aware that a Re- several days of campaigning
publican sweep in Novem- for Biden in Nevada and said:
ber could launch Trump's "Joe Biden has the knowl-
agenda for years to come. edge. He's demonstrated
Separately, the chair of the that time and time again."
Democratic Congressional He warned against those who
Campaign Committee, Rep. he said "have an agenda."
Suzan DelBene of Washing- Late Wednesday, ABC News
ton, spoke with the president reported new details about
last week armed with fresh Biden's private meeting over
data. The campaign chief the weekend with Schumer
specifically aired the con- at the president's beach
cerns of front-line Demo- home in Delaware. It said
crats seeking election to the Schumer told the president
House. Major political donors, it would be "better for the
particularly in Pelosi's Califor- Democratic Party and better
nia, have been putting heavy for the country if he were to
pressure on the president's bow out." A Schumer spokes-
campaign and members of person called the report "idle
Congress, according to one speculation."q