Closing summary
Nancy Pelosi raised eyebrows this morning with an interview on MSNBC in which she said it was “up to” Joe Biden to decide if he will continue his campaign for president. It seemed to be a signal from the former House speaker and leading Democratic voice that things remain in flux, even though Biden has shown no interest in stepping aside following his troubling debate performance against Donald Trump last month. But a top political forecaster now believes the president’s standing has fallen further since their encounter, and Trump is now slightly favored to win several crucial swing states, while the ranks of those who believe Biden should drop out has grown. Pat Ryan, a vulnerable Democratic congressman, announced Biden should stand down “for the good the country”, and George Clooney, the actor and party fundraiser, made a similar argument.
Here’s what else happened today:
Top Biden officials will meet with Senate Democrats on Thursday, while House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries has reportedly said he will relay lawmakers’ concerns to the president.
You will see Biden on TV again on Monday, when he sits for an interview with NBC News.
Kate Bedingfield, Biden’s former White House communications director, called for his campaign to make clear how they plan to move forward amid the deluge of bad news.
Richard Blumenthal, a Democratic senator from Connecticut, managed to convey both support and fear in cryptic remarks about Biden.
Should Biden step aside, perhaps a “blitz primary” will follow.
Top Biden officials to meet with Senate Democrats tomorrow
Three officials close to Joe Biden will meet with Senate Democrats tomorrow, as the president seeks to reassure his congressional allies that he has what it takes to beat Donald Trump.
The Biden-Harris campaign confirmed that campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon and top White House advisers Mike Donilon and Steve Ricchetti will meet with senators at lunch.
So far, no Democrats from Congress’s upper chamber have called for Biden to abandon his re-election bid, although Colorado’s Michael Bennet went public with his belief that Biden cannot win, and will ensure the party loses the Senate and remains in the minority in the House:
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