Joe Biden’s campaign is flailing after the US Senate Majority Leader indicated he was open to dumping the President as Democratic candidate, while another senator became the first to publicly call on the 81-year-old to withdraw.
Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer privately signalled to donors he’s open to a candidate other than the President, Axios reported, as pressure on Mr Biden to exit the race hit a new high.
Meanwhile, Democratic Senator Peter Welch used an opinion piece in the Washington Post to – “with sadness” – urge Mr Biden to pull out from the race.
“I, like folks across the country, am worried about November’s election. The stakes could not be higher. We cannot unsee President Biden’s disastrous debate performance. We cannot ignore or dismiss the valid questions raised since that night,” he wrote.
“For the good of the country, I’m calling on President Biden to withdraw from the race.”
Mr Biden’s campaign was rocked by a number of other high profile interventions on Wednesday, including from actor and Democratic donor George Clooney.
In an editorial piece for The New York Times he wrote: “I love Joe Biden. As a senator. As a vice president and as president. I consider him a friend, and I believe in him. Believe in his character. Believe in his morals. In the last four years, he’s won many of the battles he’s faced.”
The New York Times editorial board has already called for Mr Biden to step aside, along with seven Democrats.
One major donor said Democratic leaders had indicated they would issue statements of concern after the Nato summit, but did not mention Mr Schumer by name, Reuters news agency reported. “It’s going to be a bloodbath,” the source said, citing growing pressure on down-ballot candidates, even for those in states once considered “safe”.
Former House Speaker and veteran lawmaker Nancy Pelosi said “it’s up to the president to decide” if he should stay in the race, rather than outright backing him. “I want him to do whatever he decides to do,” Ms Pelosi said on MSNBC.
Mr Biden has said repeatedly that he’s made his decision, so her comments were seen as a hint for him to go as she remarked: “We’re all encouraging him to make that decision, because time is running short.”
Ms Pelosi has been closely watched for signals of how top Democrats are thinking about Mr Biden’s wounded candidacy, with her position viewed as important for the party’s direction as members weigh possible alternatives in the campaign against Donald Trump.
An eighth House Democrat, Pat Ryan of New York, and later a ninth, Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, have also publicly asked Biden to step aside.
It comes as Mr Biden is hosting world leaders in Washington for the Nato summit. He will face a public test on Thursday at a scheduled news conference rounding off the summit, which many Democrats in Congress will be watching for signs of his abilities.
With agencies