The Biden campaign has been scrambling for weeks to convince the American people that he is the right choice to run against former President Trump, and the most important co-sign is that of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. As time continues, it doesn’t seem like the president has the support he needs from his own party, but Jeffries’ stamp of approval could be the one thing that changes the tide of the election.
As of July 10, seven House Democrats have publicly called for Biden to drop out of the presidential race, according to Associated Press, suggesting the Democratic party is not as strong as they need to be heading into November. Most recently, New York Rep. Jerry Nadler took back his initial stance that Biden should drop out. He spoke to reporters before entering a closed door meeting at the Democrats’ national headquarters. “Whether or not I have concerns is besides the point,” he said. “[Biden] is going to be our nominee and we all have to support him.” Biden has repeatedly stated that he will continue to run, and that he still believes he can defeat Trump.
But his support is clearly shaky, and now, Democrats need Jeffries to take a stance. The House Minority Leader has two choices: either come out and tell Biden to pass the torch to a younger, fresher face, or fully support the president and call his fellow Democrats to do the same.
Although Jeffries won’t be the deciding factor on whether Biden stays or not, Democrats agree that as the House leader, Jeffries’ decision has the ability to drastically sway members of the party either way.
“He’s really good about laying out the facts and coming in and making people go in the direction that he wants them to go,” said Ohio Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Biden loyalist, in an interview with CNN. “I have confidence in him that he will talk to those individuals, and he will figure out how to stop the bleed and move us forward.”
Ever since Biden’s questionable performance at the presidential debate, Democrats, Republicans, and many voters are rethinking the 81-year-old’s decision to run for reelection. During the recent Essence Festival, Vice President Kamala Harris called the upcoming election “the most significant election of our lifetime” before urging voters to choose for Biden.
The incumbent’s defiant decision to see this race through could backfire in his face if he loses in November. If Trump wins a second term, Democrats will more that likely blame Biden for not getting out when he had the chance, which experts say could damage his legacy.