President Joe Biden reportedly told an ally his candidacy is at risk if he has another bad public performance, the New York Times reported.
Biden is scheduled for an interview with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News on Friday and two campaign stops in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin over the holiday weekend, which will likely be make-or-break appearances for the president.
“He knows if he has two more events like that, we’re in a different place,” the anonymous ally told The New York Times.
Shortly after Times reported the information, White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said the claim was “absolutely false."
The conversation, as reported, would be the strongest indication yet that Biden himself is seriously considering whether he can recover after last Thursday’s disastrous debate performance. Post-debate, many have called for him to step down, now including Democratic lawmakers.
If Biden does choose to drop out, Vice President Kamala Harris would the top choice to replace him, according to senior sources in the Biden campaign, the White House and the Democratic National Committee, Reuters reported. A big advantage for Harris is that she would be able to take over the money and infrastructure from Biden’s campaign, the sources said.
In a new Reuters/Ipsos poll, 42% of voters said they would vote for Harris compared to 43% for Trump, a statistical tie given the survey's margin of error. In the same poll, Biden and Trump are also tied, with each receiving the support of 40% of respondents.
Despite all the speculation, several of Biden’s allies emphasized that he is very much still in the race and will do everything he can to prove he is fit to serve another term, the Times reported.
