WASHINGTON, DC (Michigan News Source) – The commitment of President Joe Biden to remain the Democratic presidential nominee for the 2024 election has been a topic of significant discussion recently after what many have called a disastrous performance in his debate against former President Donald J. Trump.
Biden’s firm stance.
Amid increasing calls for his resignation and speculation about potential replacements, Biden has firmly stated his intention to stay the course. In a Zoom call with campaign and Democratic National Committee staff on Wednesday, the president said, ”Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can – as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running…no one’s pushing me out. I’m not leaving. I’m in this race to the end and we’re going to win.”
Support from Governor Whitmer and Vice President Harris.
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Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan has echoed this sentiment, affirming her unwavering support for the President in a post on X on Wednesday saying, ”Joe Biden is our nominee. He is in it to win it, and I support him.”
Governor Whitmer’s support for Biden is significant, given her influential role within the Democratic Party and the fact that she has also been floated as a possible replacement for President Biden. Whitmer, as a co-chair of Biden’s re-election campaign, has been a vocal advocate for Biden’s policies and has played a key role in rallying support for his administration.
Vice President Kamala Harris, also frequently mentioned as a potential replacement for President Biden, has publicly and privately expressed her support for him. Although some within the party have suggested her as an alternative, Harris has made it clear that she stands firmly behind Biden’s candidacy.
Statements from other key Democrats.
Additionally, at a recent meeting with over 20 Democratic governors who met with the president in-person and virtually, three of them came out to give their statements after the meeting, including New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul who said that the governors all pledged their support to the president. The Hill also reported that VP Harris Vice President Harris urged the Democrats to remain united at the meeting.
California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, another possible presidential candidate to replace Biden, made a Michigan visit on Thursday to stump for the president, appearing in South Haven for a campaign event. He said about the meeting with Democratic governors at the White House, “There was no one that walked out of that and didn’t say, ‘We’ve got your back, Mr. President’. No one. Not one.”
Rising calls for Biden to step down amid criticism from media and politicians.
Regardless of Biden’s support from top Democrats in his party, calls for him to step down have grown louder and louder because of his recent debate performance, which drew criticism from various corners, including prominent media outlets who are often the most fervent defenders of the president.
In addition to that, he’s had two more concerning events, calling himself the “first black woman to serve with a black president” during a Wisconsin radio interview and having several gaffes and misstatements during his short speech on July 4th.
There have been multiple calls for Biden to step down from both within and outside the Democratic Party. The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Economist, and other influential publications have all suggested that it might be time for Biden to make way for new leadership. Even some elected Democrat politicians have also said that Biden should step down.
Public opinion.
They aren’t alone. A recent CBS poll revealed that a staggering 72% of registered voters, including both Republicans and Democrats, believe that Biden should not seek a second term. This statistic reflects growing concerns about the president’s mental and cognitive fitness to serve as president.
Challenges to removing Biden from office.
Despite bad polling and accusations of Biden being unfit to be a presidential candidate or to even continue to run the country as president, his cabinet, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, AG Merrick Garland, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttgieg and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, have always been loyal to him, making any effort to remove him through the 25th Amendment a complex and challenging endeavor.
The 25th Amendment, which allows for the removal of a sitting president who is “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office,” would require significant political maneuvering and two-thirds support of both the Senate and the House of Representatives if the president were to push back against a coup by VP Harris and his cabinet. Given Biden’s firm stance and the loyalty of his cabinet, such a move seems unlikely to succeed if the president didn’t decide to leave his office voluntarily.
First Lady Jill Biden’s campaign efforts.
Despite the criticism and calls for resignation, the Biden administration continues to project confidence and determination. First Lady Jill Biden has been actively campaigning for her husband, emphasizing the president’s resilience and commitment to his role.
During a recent visit to northern Michigan, using taxpayer funded “Air Force 2” to campaign for her husband, Jill Biden reiterated her husband’s message, stating, “Joe is the Democratic nominee and he is going to beat Donald Trump, just like he did in 2020.”
She also addressed concerns about Biden’s performance, asserting, “Because there’s a lot of talk out there, let me repeat what my husband has said plainly and clearly. Joe is the Democratic nominee, and he is going to beat Donald Trump just like he did in 2020.” She added: “Joe’s been knocked down and counted out his whole life, but when he gets knocked down, he gets back up. And when he gets counted out, he works harder. And that’s what he’s doing.”
Strategic moves and legal challenges to replacing Biden.
Despite mounting pressure and calls for him to step away from running to be president again, Biden remains committed to his role as the Democratic nominee for the 2024 election – buoyed by the support of his wife and his son, Hunter, who appears to be playing a more active role in his father’s campaign lately and reportedly gave his dad “speech prep” for his primetime address on July 1st after the SCOTUS ruling concerning presidential immunity.
With strong support from his family and key figures like Governor Whitmer and Vice President Harris, and a loyal cabinet, Biden will most likely push forward with his campaign despite the increasing calls for him to retire from politics.
However, if that is not the case and the Democrats end up looking at replacing Biden on the ticket, especially later in the process, there are multiple road blocks in their way including the Democrats’ own election law changes they’ve made over the past few years that allow early voting, making ballot printing much earlier than in the past. In Michigan, in-person absentee voting can begin September 25th, 40 days before the election.
Democratic party’s internal challenges.
There’s also the fact that the Democratic voters picked Biden as their candidate and the delegates at the convention “shall” support him unless he tells them not to. But it’s a “shall” and not a “must” as their rules currently read, “Delegates elected to the national convention pledged to a presidential candidate shall in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them.”
There’s also the disenfranchisement of their own voters. As politicians who constant decry that Trump will be the end of democracy if he’s re-elected and that they are the ones defending democracy, that wouldn’t be the case if the Democrats decide to ignore the will of their voters who chose Biden as their candidate.
Add to that, money could be an issue now with major Democratic donors, including Disney heiress Abigail Disney, refusing to fund the presidential race of the Democrats until Biden is off the ticket. Netflix co- founder and Democratic megadonor, Reed Hastings, has also called for Biden to step aside.
Additionally, Republican strategies are being developed to try to thwart any replacement plans the Democrats may be considering.
Republican strategies against replacement plans.
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, has devised a plan to ensure Joe Biden remains on the ballot, even if the Democratic Party tries to replace him. According to a memo, the foundation’s Oversight Project has researched the laws for replacing a president in several battleground states, identifying potential legal challenges to make the process difficult or unsuccessful. Executive Director Mike Howell emphasized their intent to make replacing Biden “extraordinarily difficult,” targeting specific states for their efforts.
Zack Smith, a senior legal fellow at Heritage, told NOTUS (News of the United States), “The problem that any potential replacement for Joe Biden would likely run into is that in many states, including in several key states, the deadline for getting on the ballot has already passed. Or in many states, the process for replacing a candidate currently on the ballot just isn’t clearly defined because it happens so rarely.”
Key states The Heritage Foundation is focusing on include Wisconsin, Nevada, and Georgia, where legal actions could be effective. The Trump campaign would most likely support these efforts, viewing Biden as a weaker opponent and relishing the chaos within the Democratic decision-making process.
Recent polls indicate that Biden is trailing Trump, heightening the urgency for Democrats to select a replacement and secure their decision legally. With the DNC convention just 45 days away, the need for a swift and decisive action is more critical than ever.
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