Democratic Senator Michael Bennet from Colorado revealed to CNN that he does not believe Biden can defeat Donald Trump, marking him as the first member of the Democratic caucus to publicly assert this, increasing the number of opposing voices for Biden's candidacy from within the Democratic Party to nine members. As calls for his withdrawal from the presidential race grow louder, President Joe Biden is meeting today, Thursday, with Democratic members of the Senate alongside his senior campaign advisors to address their concerns about his candidacy for a second presidential term.
This comes as the House Oversight Committee, led by the Republicans, summoned three senior White House aides, demanding their testimonies regarding President Biden's health, according to Axios. The website stated that "this move indicates the Republicans' desire to investigate what they perceive as an attempt by some of Biden's closest aides to conceal the true state of the president, in an inquiry that may continue until the next presidential election."
According to Axios, Oversight Chairman James Comer has called upon the First Lady Jill Biden’s chief of staff, Anthony Bernal, Deputy Chief of Staff Annie Thomasini, and advisor Ashley Williams. The article noted that "the committee is concerned about the possibility of many White House staffers managing the country amid the president's inability to do so."
For his part, White House spokesperson Ian Sams stated that these summons are a baseless political stunt aimed at garnering media attention rather than engaging in legitimate oversight. A senior Democratic party source mentioned that senior advisors to President Biden will provide a briefing to Democratic senators today, amidst questions regarding the current president's ability to continue his campaign following a debate described as disastrous with his rival Donald Trump last month.
Axios reported that Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer is prepared to support a Democratic alternative to Joe Biden in the upcoming presidential election. Schumer, considered one of the prominent political figures in the Democratic Party, had previously expressed his support for President Biden's candidacy and stated publicly that he is "with Joe." However, according to Axios, Schumer’s undisclosed stance differs as he is open to finding a substitute for Biden, whose poor performance in the debate with potential Republican rival Donald Trump has raised concerns among Democrats regarding Biden's ability to win the election.
Meanwhile, Senator Peter Welch from Vermont publicly called on President Biden to "withdraw from the presidential race for the sake of the country." In an opinion piece published by The Washington Post, Democratic Senator Welch stated, "For the good of the country, I urge President Biden to withdraw from the race."
On the media front, NBC announced that it will conduct an interview with President Joe Biden in Austin, Texas, next Monday. A spokesperson for the network stated in a release that the interview will be broadcast on television and online later that same day.
