US media outlets have reported that key members of the Democratic Party had expressed to President Joe Biden their negative views about him staying in the 2024 presidential race.
CNN cited sources as saying former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Biden on the phone that polling shows he cannot defeat former President Donald Trump. She reportedly told him that he could destroy Democrats’ chances of winning the House in November if he continues seeking a second term.
The report says none of the sources indicated whether Pelosi told Biden that she believes he should drop out of the presidential race. The private conversation is said to have taken place last week.
ABC News reported that Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer visited Biden in Delaware on Saturday. It cited a source as saying Schumer made a case to Biden that it would be best if he dropped out of the race.
ABC also reported that a source said House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries had expressed similar views directly to Biden, suggesting he should drop out of the race.
New York Times reported on Wednesday Democratic sources said Biden has not given any indication that he is changing his mind about staying in the race. But they said he has been willing to listen to rundowns of new and worrying polling data and has asked questions about how Vice President Kamala Harris could win.
In a recent opinion poll, about two-thirds of Democratic supporters responded that Biden should withdraw from the presidential race.
The survey was conducted by the AP news agency and the University of Chicago on more than 1,200 voters online or over the phone between July 11 and 15.