The White House has categorically dismissed a report by The New York Times alleging that President Joe Biden is contemplating whether to continue his reelection campaign in November. The report, published on Wednesday, cited an unnamed “key ally” who claimed Biden expressed concerns about the need to reassure the public swiftly about his capability to carry out the duties of the presidency.
The Times article suggested that Biden’s uncertain performance in a recent debate against Republican opponent Donald Trump in Atlanta has prompted calls for him to withdraw as the Democratic nominee for the upcoming election.
Reacting to the report, White House spokesperson Andrew Bates took to social media platform X, posting a strong rebuttal: “This claim is absolutely false.” The statement was accompanied by an image of The New York Times headline, “Biden Told Ally That He Is Weighing Whether To Continue in the Race.”
Despite the report’s implication, it did not directly quote Biden indicating any reconsideration of his reelection bid. Instead, it quoted the ally as cautioning that Biden’s future electoral prospects could shift significantly based on his performance in upcoming events.
Subsequently, CNN also reported on a similar conversation with an unnamed ally who emphasized that Biden is keenly aware of the pivotal nature of the upcoming period in determining his reelection prospects.
According to CNN’s report, the ally remarked, “The polls are plummeting, the fundraising is drying up, and the interviews are going badly. He’s not oblivious.”
During the recent debate, Biden attributed his subdued performance to fatigue following two international trips. White House officials further cited a cold as contributing to his performance. In response to the situation, Biden’s campaign has initiated damage control efforts with donors and scheduled a meeting with Democratic governors later this Wednesday.
