Aides, foreign officials, lawmakers and donors say President Joe Biden has seemed slower and more often loses his train of thought in recent months, while political insiders insist the 81-year-old chief executive remains mentally sharp despite such testimony and visible examples of his decline.
Biden, who at 81 is the oldest person ever to occupy the presidency, has displayed signs of accelerated aging in recent months, according to numerous aides, foreign officials, members of Congress, donors and others who have interacted with him.
His debate performance a week ago solidified numerous concerns among Democrats about Biden’s prospects and played into months of claims by Trump, 78, that his opponent is frail and mentally impaired.
Questions about his declining capabilities has haunted Biden in recent times but now the only issue is whether or when he will decide to end his campaign for a second term.
Biden appeared lost and confused during the presidential debate against Republican Donald Trump on June 27, and his halting performance sent panic through the Democratic Party.
The New York Times, Boston Globe, NJTODAY.NET and other newspapers have called on Biden to drop out of the presidential race.
A few elected officials have also made that recommendation or suggested it in more mild terms but in general the political establishment has feared retribution too much to exercise real leadership.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas, who said that Biden should “make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw,” was the first sitting Democratic lawmaker to publicly say what many have been privately whispering behind closed doors since the debate.
“My decision to make these strong reservations public is not done lightly nor does it in any way diminish my respect for all that President Biden has achieved,” Doggett said. “Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Biden’s first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw. I respectfully call on him to do so.”
Doggett was followed by Representatives Raúl M. Grijalva and Seth Moulton, adding a trickle of defections that is likely to turn into a flood.
“President Biden has done enormous service to our country, but now is the time for him to follow in one of our founding father, George Washington’s, footsteps and step aside to let new leaders rise up and run against Donald Trump,” Mr. Moulton
“(Democratic Party) leaders want us to believe we didn’t see what we saw at the debate,” said filmmaker Michael Moore. “But my eyes don’t lie. Neither do yours. This isn’t about whether Biden’s fit to serve 4 more years—but rather should he serve 4 more days? What happened on that stage was heartbreaking.”
Adam Frisch, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, called for Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential election.
“We are at a critical point in our country’s history. It is not a time to think about which party or which tribe you belong to, but rather what is most important for the future of our country and our children,” said Frisch. “The entire country was left stunned during and after last Thursday’s debate. The indelible images and sound bites from that evening will remain with us, repeated in campaign ad after campaign ad, and make it impossible for Biden to win his election. It left people in my district feeling sick to their stomachs.”
Every attempt by Biden or his White House and campaign teams to fix the problem seems to only worsen it.
Biden attempted to humorously tell donors on Tuesday evening that following two strenuous trips to Europe the previous month, he “almost fell asleep onstage” with Trump.
His remark fell flat as it completely failed to counter assertions that Biden is unfit for the strenuous responsibilities of his office while seeking re-election at the age of 81.
Biden’s reason for getting into the 2020 presidential race was his claim that he was the only person who could beat then-President Donald Trump. Now, he — and he alone — will have to decide he is no longer that person, according to allies and aides.
“If Biden is to drop out of the race, his poll numbers would need to plummet further. Elected Democrats would need to abandon him in large numbers. Donor money would need to start drying up,” said progressive New Jersey activist Lisa McCormick. “The moral hazard of making it easier for Donald Trump to return to the White House never seems to enter into these calculations. Nobody is seriously weighing what is best for the country.”
Biden insists that he has every intention of staying in the race.
A campaign rally in the battleground state of Wisconsin followed by an interview with George Stephanopoulos that will air in prime time on ABC News, could mark a critical point but i.