Although Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) hasn’t publicly come out like some of his colleagues and called for the embattled Joe Biden to abandon his reelection efforts, a new Axios report says that in private—he’s willing to entertain the notion.
After Biden’s debate debacle and his subsequent faltering performance in an ABC News interview, calls for the president’s withdrawal have grown thunderous, with everyone from Hollywood celebrities to liberal news outlets to high-ranking Democrat officials chiming in. However, four key Dems have not yet taken that step: former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) (although she sounded less than lukewarm about Joe’s prospects earlier Wednesday), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), former president Barack Obama (although his former surrogates have taken the gloves off), and the aforementioned Schumer.
But the Senator from New York is thinking about it:
Over the last 12 days, Schumer has been listening to donors’ ideas and suggestions about the best way forward for the party, according to three people familiar with the matter.
The majority leader is one of several Democrats, including former President Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has the political and personal standing to convince Biden to step aside. Even so, Biden can still dig in and the delegates are pledged to him.
A Schumer spokesman declined to comment.
JUST IN—Sen. Chuck Schumer, one of the few voices considered close enough to Joe Biden to sway his decision, has privately signaled to donors he is now “open” to dumping Joe Biden. This comes after Rep. Pat Ryan became the eight House Democrat calling for Joe to step down. https://t.co/pZuCg7aQM4
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) July 10, 2024
If any of the four powerbrokers mentioned above breaks ranks and publicly demands that Biden head back to Delaware in January, I think that’s the political end for the mentally compromised commander-in-chief.
It’s not clear who Schumer would back should Biden indeed step down:
Both before and after the debate, Schumer’s famous flip phone burned up with donors, sharing their views. Schumer has been listening.
Schumer hasn’t indicated who, if anyone, might be a more viable candidate than Biden, a man he served with in the Senate for 20 years.
His focus is on defeating former President Trump and retaining the Democratic majority in the Senate.
In addition to donors, he is receiving feedback from his fellow senators.
He must not like what he’s hearing.
Meanwhile, the incredibly-shrinking Biden is trying to do anything he can to stop the bleeding.
Flailing:
Desperate Measures: Biden to Sit for Primetime NBC Interview With Lester Holt
White House Clown Show Continues As They Announce Biden Will Hold a ‘Big Boy’ Press Conference
It’s not as if Schumer was oblivious to the possibility that Biden’s fortunes could possibly change suddenly. It’s almost as if he knew all along the president was compromised and might be exposed:
Even before Biden’s dismal showing, Schumer was telling allies that the late June debate date — the earliest debate in modern presidential history — had two obvious advantages:
It would give Biden time to recover if he performed poorly.
Or it would give Democrats the option of finding a different standard-bearer if Biden’s candidacy wasn’t salvageable.
Which one of these four—Pelosi, Schumer, Jeffries, or Obama—will be the first to blink? As I mentioned, Pelosi on Wednesday did appear to suggest Biden might want to think about his decision to continue running, but she did not come right out and call for him to walk away.
I predict if one of them finds the guts to tell the truth, the other three will quickly fall in line, and that will be the final knife in the back of Joe’s campaign.
