Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has been conveying to donors in private that he’s open to the idea of a Democratic presidential ticket without President Biden at the helm, according to information obtained by Axios. Although Schumer publicly maintains his support for Biden, stating he is “for Joe,” his private conversations suggest otherwise.
In the past 12 days, Schumer has been actively engaging with donors, listening to their thoughts and suggestions on the future direction of the party, according to three sources with knowledge of these discussions. Schumer, along with other influential Democrats like former President Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has the clout to potentially persuade Biden to step aside. Despite this, Biden could still resist, as delegates are committed to him. After this story surfaced, Schumer reiterated in a statement, “As I have made clear repeatedly publicly and privately, I support President Biden and remain committed to ensuring Donald Trump is defeated in November.”
Leading up to and following the debate, Schumer’s famous flip phone was busy with calls from donors sharing their views. Schumer has been attentive to these conversations but has not suggested any specific alternative candidates to Biden. His main focus remains on defeating former President Trump and maintaining the Democratic majority in the Senate. Besides donors, Schumer is also gathering feedback from his fellow senators. Following Tuesday’s caucus lunch, he invited senior Biden campaign officials to brief members and address any concerns directly.
Biden’s directive to lawmakers to “end” discussions about replacing him has largely been ignored. Pelosi openly suggested today that Biden should rethink his decision to run. “It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run,” Pelosi stated on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “The time is running short.” This afternoon, Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.) became the eighth House Democrat to call for Biden to withdraw from the race.
Schumer’s private discussions are part of a larger debate within the Democratic Party, with prominent donors — including George Clooney — now urging Biden to step aside. Lawmakers and donors are waiting for more polling data, which has mostly been unfavorable for Biden, before making any decisive moves. They are also closely monitoring his public appearances, particularly his performance at a post-NATO press conference on Thursday.
During Tuesday’s Democratic caucus meeting, Schumer did not reveal his personal view on whether Biden should lead the ticket or if he could defeat Trump. However, Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) expressed their concerns about Biden’s chances in the election. Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) also voiced his worries, later publicly stating on CNN, “I think that we could lose the whole thing.” Several Democratic senators informed Axios on Wednesday that Schumer is considering the concerns of the entire caucus regarding Biden’s future.
Despite the internal debate, Biden received public backing from several senators today, including Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.), the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. “I believe President Biden can win,” Peters told the Detroit News. “And I believe that we’ll be able to hold the Senate majority.” When asked by reporters if he agreed with Bennet that Biden was at risk of losing, Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa.) responded, “No.” Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) added, “The president can win and I think he will win.”
Even before Biden’s poor performance, Schumer had been telling allies that the early debate date in late June — the earliest in modern presidential history — had two clear benefits: It would give Biden time to recover if he performed badly, or it would allow Democrats the option to find a new candidate if Biden’s campaign seemed untenable.
{Matzav.com}