The U.S. president, Joe Biden, remains entrenched in his push to secure the Democratic nomination and face Donald Trump again in November. He finds himself in a tense tug-of-war with party leaders who are pressing him to step aside, given his age and the deep crisis of confidence visible since the June 27 debate. Biden longs to prove his capacity to win once more, drawing on a long political career spanning five decades and a history of debates over whether his performance is underestimated. His frustration is fueled by a sense of betrayal by powerful Democrats, including key figures who once stood by him.
Biden is resolute in his belief that he can prevail, as he did in prior campaigns, while critics question the path to victory this year. The conflict within the party has been described internally as a nightmare by some, particularly when contrasted with the Republican side. Trump, who led in polls even before the debate, weathered a troubling incident that many say has hardened his image inside and beyond his base. At the Republican convention in Milwaukee, he was portrayed as the unifying figure of a disciplined and organized party. In Grand Rapids, Michigan, he hosted his first rally with his new running mate, JD Vance, amid the intensified campaign tempo.
While the convention was unfolding, anonymous sources close to Biden suggested he was more open to listening to counsel urging him to consider stepping back and to study the polling that casts doubt on a path to victory in November, including the prospect of Republicans gaining control of Congress. The official messages from Biden’s campaign and the White House, however, rejected those reports as inaccurate.
In the coming week, Biden plans to resume campaign events in Georgia and Texas and is set to meet with Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in the White House on a Wednesday when Republicans have invited him to address Congress.
Intrigue and Power Plays
Information from Biden’s summer retreat in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where a covid-19 infection has led him to isolate, portrays a leader increasingly wary of what he sees as a campaign orchestrated against him. His ire is especially sharp toward Pelosi, a figure instrumental in advancing legislative wins during Biden’s term, whom he now views as a principal instigator of dissent. Nearly forty representatives and senators have publicly urged him to quit.
Pelosi has not urged departure publicly, but privately she has indicated she sees little path forward. In discussions with colleagues, she has signaled support for an open, competitive convention. Biden’s frustration is also directed at Obama, according to sources cited by major outlets, including a reporting tradition around the debate aftermath. Obama was the vice president chosen in 2008, stood by Biden through 2020 and into this campaign, and publicly defended Biden after the debate as having had a rough night.
Although Obama has largely stayed quiet as the crisis deepened, some longtime aides have raised concerns about Biden’s continued candidacy. Former advisers, like David Axelrod, have voiced stronger opinions that the campaign must reassess. For Biden, Obama’s involvement appears to be shaping the strategy behind what many see as a web of political maneuvers aimed at signaling a shift in support away from him.
Those feelings are said to complicate a relationship that was already delicate despite the friendship from their eight years together in the White House. People close to Biden say he has carried a lingering resentment since 2016, when Obama and his inner circle helped steer him away from pursuing the presidency that year to clear the path for Hillary Clinton.
Biden’s inner circle believes the current strain extends beyond a party dispute. It is described by some as a family reaction, with Jill Biden and Hunter Biden among those feeling a deep sense of frustration about the ongoing drama. They see the contest as a multi-faction struggle reminiscent of a televised political game where various elements of the party clash as the campaign unfolds.