Biden's poll numbers drop following debate, calls for him to step aside intensify
WASHINGTON - Democratic governors are descending on the White House to meet with President Joe Biden as calls for him to give up his campaign intensify.
Biden has been making the rounds, trying to tamp down doubts about his candidacy. The president doubled down on his commitment to stay in the race as he appears to be losing support from voters and key Democrats.
The president is meeting with Democratic governors, including Maryland's Wes Moore who plans to join in person alongside Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and California Gov. Gavin Newsom – both of whom have been floated as potential replacements at the top of the ticket.
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But let's tick through everything that has happened so far:
The New York Times reported that Biden told a key ally he's considering whether he can continue the race for president. the white house immediately denied the story.
Both the New York Times and CBS News released polls showing former President Donald Trump gaining ground nationally against Biden. Trump now leads Biden 49-43 among likely voters nationally according to the NYT/Sienna College poll, giving Trump the largest lead he has had since 2015.
Biden's Chief of Staff Jeff Zients held an all-staff call urging them to tune out the noise and focus. Meanwhile, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris joined a call with campaign staff where Biden said, "I am running. I am the leader of the Democratic party. No one is pushing me out."
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And in perhaps the biggest signal, longtime Biden Ally Rep. Jim Clyburn Of South Carolina, whose endorsement is credited with salvaging Biden's 2020 campaign, said he would be open to a mini-primary ahead of the Democratic National Convention next month.
"I think we're on the inevitable track toward withdrawal is if I was in a position like Joe Biden where that really was an anomaly, where like it was a shock on Thursday, I would have been in an unscripted environment on Friday," Democratic strategist Calvin Dark told FOX 5.
"But it's already Wednesday and he has yet to do anything live where he is taking questions and not with a teleprompter. It kind of sends the clear message that if he could he would," he continued.
On top of all that, the Allbritton Journalism Institute's notus reports that Republicans, led by conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, are readying a legal strategy to keep Biden on the ballot or make it difficult to remove him.