Emerging from the aftermath of June’s presidential debate between President Joseph Biden and former President Donald Trump—a debate that may ultimately prove to be the most consequential in American political history—the knives have come out for Mr. Biden and his campaign as the sinister apparatus of the Democratic establishment and press descend upon him, compelling his withdrawal from the race. For some time now, it’s been apparent that the insidious hierarchy of the Democratic Party has been mounting a pressure campaign against the president behind closed doors. However, with more leaks than a faulty faucet, the media has transformed seemingly innocuous private conversations into a public campaign—now, several prominent figures openly call for the president to end his reelection bid.
Nancy Pelosi has informed Mr. Biden that polling suggests he will lose to Mr. Trump by such a decisive margin that the coattails would be detrimental to down-ballot Democrats. Mr. Biden has repeatedly reiterated that polls show he can win. But his insistence falls upon deaf ears; Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries have conveyed a similar message—drop out.
At least twenty Democrats, including notable congressmen such as Adam Schiff and Jerry Nadler, have voiced their concerns and called for Mr. Biden to suspend his campaign. This chorus has even been joined by former President Barack Obama, whose influence on the Democratic Party and this administration remains formidable. Unconfirmed reports have begun circulating that Mr. Biden has privately acquiesced to this pressure campaign, with preparations being made to bow out this weekend and schemes for an open convention in Chicago being drawn up. And yet, Mr. Biden, his wife Jill, and his campaign remain adamant in public statements that he will not drop out. However, it has the same ominous feeling as Liz Truss’s speech as Prime Minister on the floor of the Commons in October 2022—her passionate insistence on being “a fighter, not a quitter” preceded her resignation the following day.
The walls of the bunker are thick, but surely the Democrats understand there is no coming back from this inter-party strife. One cannot help but feel sympathetic for Mr. Biden—every longtime ally, friend, and elected Democrat seems to have turned on him and thrown him to the wolves. Though his health has been in decline for some time after being protected for four years by the media and his Democratic allies—the same allies who raised $25 million in a single day for him, insisted he is the sharpest he's ever been, and that those who dared to question his fitness were peddling baseless conspiracies—are now the ones to draw their blades and strike the first blow. The talking heads at MSNBC who regaled us with stories of "cheap fakes" and of his superior fitness are now the loudest voices insisting he must suspend his campaign due to his mental decline.
The betrayal by the Democrats is striking. These politicians, television hosts, Hollywood elites, and sanctimonious columnists wish to be drenched with adulations for their 'bravery' as if it could mask the obvious stench of self-interest—speaking up now, after years of insisting on Mr. Biden's good health and mental acuity, is cowardly and characteristic of the treacherous nature of D.C. politics that has left so many Americans repulsed and ambivalent. If Democrats ultimately get their wish and Mr. Biden suspends his campaign, they should not assume a path to victory is guaranteed. The American people will not forget, nor are they likely to forgive; integrity and trustworthiness are paramount, and those who breach them do so at their peril.
This starkly contrasts with the united front of the Republican Party, which has just concluded its convention in Milwaukee. This juxtaposition between a fractured Democratic Party and a cohesive Republican force led by Mr. Trump may well decide the outcome in favor of the latter. The nation’s collective gaze now turns to Mr. Biden, who will reportedly make an announcement this weekend concerning his political future.