The dim assessments of President Joe Biden’s political prospects are coming not just from rival camps but from within his own Cabinet, where people he brought in have been discussing whether staff members should intercede.
There have been “private discussions” among unnamed Cabinet members about “whether it’s time” for Biden’s closest advisers to speak out about the poor chances he faces in keeping the White House. Bloomberg News reported.
Biden’s team members were not trying to convince him to decide to win the mandate but instead appeared to be engaging in some of the same conversations that party members and supporters have been having around the country: whether Biden, after the debate, no longer has the ability to persuade a sufficient share of the public that he can win a second term, according to the report, which cited people familiar with the matter.
Rather than taking action themselves, they hoped other key members of Biden’s close inner circle, including family and staff, would “come clean” with the president about their stance.
The new area of concern for Biden comes as another high-profile figure, Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, a Democrat facing a tough re-election bid, called for Biden to go.
Members of President Joe Biden’s Cabinet have been having private conversations about whether “it’s time” for key advisers to weigh in amid his declining political prospects.
This comes after a House Democrat told DailyMail.com that the message from senior party figures about Biden’s political danger is getting through to the president.
“Montana residents have placed their trust in me to do the right thing, and it’s a responsibility I take very seriously. I’ve worked with President Biden as Montana has grown stronger, and I’ve never been afraid to stand up to him when he’s wrong,” Tester said, according to the Daily Montanan.
“And while I value his commitment to public service and our country, I believe President Biden should not seek re-election to another term.”
Democrats have been galvanized by former President Donald Trump’s poll standing and surge since the assassination attempt on him.
The last time the Biden Cabinet issue came to light since his debate disaster was when press reports noted that he hadn’t even convened his full Cabinet since October 2023 and that they were very scripted when they happened.
“The president is his party’s nominee, having obtained 14 million votes during the Democratic primaries. He is running for re-election and that will not change until he wins re-election,” he said. TJ Ducklo, Biden-Harris 2024 senior communications adviser.
Another blow landed Thursday with the leak of a four-page letter to Biden written by Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), another prominent Democrat, that compared him to veteran Boston Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez, who was left on the mound too long during the 2003 American League Championship Series against the rival New York Yankees.
Also Thursday, Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) said it was time for Biden to “pass the torch” despite being “an incredible president” for the “good of the country.”
There has been mounting comment from Democratic officials arguing that if Biden steps back, the party is likely to unite around Vice President Kamala Harris, despite her own struggles to generate strong public approval ratings.
