The summer heat has been brutal. It has been oppressive. On Tuesday, the temperature in Central Park climbed to 89ºF. While 89ºF is a reading seldom welcomed, the high humidity levels made it appear balmy by contrast. In other parts of New York, the temperature soared to an apocalyptic 105ºF. In my bedroom, the air conditioning unit rattles and gasps tepid air. Outside, people walk along the sidewalk with sweat-shiny foreheads. Some people fan themselves. It’s so hot.
And yet, it could be hotter. You could be inside the Biden campaign.
Two weeks ago, Joe Biden debated Donald Trump on CNN. 51.27 million people tuned in to watch the debate. And 51.27 million people watched in horror as the leader of the free world struggled to express a coherent thought. Across 22 networks, spectators saw Biden try and fail to answer even the most basic questions posed by the moderators. For the Biden campaign, the 90 minutes were an eternity—an hour-and-a-half ordeal during which the president undid all of his team’s efforts to assuage voters’ concerns about his age.
The fallout from the debate was swift. As soon as it ended, a table of shocked CNN analysts attempted to unpack what they had just witnessed. They attempted to perform an autopsy, really. The death of a candidacy. Their incredulity at what they had just watched was palpable. Some of them listlessly remarked on how frequently Trump had lied. But this fact seemed to offer them little solace. There was no forgetting Biden’s performance—a performance so dismal that the word performance becomes a sort of euphemism. That there was no forgetting Joe’s appearance would be a more accurate description.
In the days that followed the debate, a number of left-leaning publications called on Biden to withdraw from the election. Even the New York Times’s editorial board issued a statement that said, in effect, that the stakes of the election were too high for Biden to remain the nominee. Although the editorial board insisted that they would vote for Biden over Trump if it came down to it, the message was clear: Biden needed to step aside.
Over the past two weeks, though, Biden has remained defiant. He has revealed an unwavering determination to stay in the race. Last Friday, he sat down for an interview with George Stephanopoulos. With noticeably tanner skin and a shirt popped open at the collar, Biden attempted to draw on some Kenergy and make his position clear. “If the Lord Almighty came down and said, ‘Joe, get outta the race,’ I’d get outta the race… The Lord Almighty’s not comin’ down.”
The Almighty’s not comin’ down. But the press is. There have been countless articles criticizing and questioning Biden's decision to stay in the race. And only a few days after the interview, George Stephanopoulos was stopped on the street by someone who asked the anchor if he thought Biden should “step down.” Stephanopoulos, looking trim in his gym clothes, answered, “I don’t think he can serve four more years.” Unbeknownst to Mr. Stephanopoulos, the person who asked him the question was recording their interaction on his phone. The video of this interaction was published by a reputable publication known for their sterling journalism—TMZ. Who knew TMZ was interested in videos of mild-mannered news anchors? I thought their bread and butter was videos of jet-lagged celebrities at LAX. It seems there is no escaping politics these days.
There has also been a spate of controversial stories about the Biden campaign. After the debate, Biden consented to interviews with two prominent radio hosts, but only—it was later revealed—after the hosts agreed to ask him questions that his team provided.
On Monday, in an effort to be more spontaneous, the president called in to Morning Joe. Mika Brezinski and Joe Scarborough, the hosts, are fervent supporters of the president. They are firmly in his corner and their show represents something of a refuge—a safe-space—for the Biden campaign. And yet, even on Morning Joe, Biden was presented with some harsh questions. Mika—and remember, this is a staunch Biden ally—asked the president: “How can you assure the American people that you won’t have another night like the one you did in Atlanta?”
Biden replied that his poor performance wasn’t a result of his advanced age and that people should judge him on his administration’s record.
“Mr. President,” Mika answered, “if anyone in my family had a night like that…if my Joe had a night like that…I’d probably want to do some sort of work up…a medical work up and make sure he’s okay. Have you been tested for any age-related illnesses, pre-Parkinsons, or anything like that…that might explain having a night like that where you couldn’t finish sentences?”
When your most faithful supporters begin asking these questions, you know your candidacy is in trouble.
So far nine Democratic members of Congress have called on Joe Biden to step aside. Yesterday, Vermont Senator Peter Welch became the first member of the upper chamber to urge the president to drop out.
And even Biden’s putative senatorial allies appear to be wavering. In public, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer—the one with the reading glasses—told journalists, “I’m with Joe.” In private, he has reportedly indicated that he’s open to jettisoning Joe from the ticket. Schumer’s loyalties ultimately lie with the Democratic party. And Schumer’s obligation to the party is to ensure that the Democrats win the upper house. With Joe at the top of the ticket, the chances that they do so might be weaker.
In an appearance on Morning Joe, Nancy Pelosi said, “It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run.” Given Biden’s avowed intention to remain in the race, Pelosi’s statement appears a bit strange. It’s unclear if this bit of equivocation was intentional or not.
Regardless, the Democratic party is in a fraught position. Younger lawmakers are looking to the more senior members of the party for direction. They are looking to leaders like Schumer, Pelosi, and Jeffries. Will the party maintain its support for Biden’s candidacy? Or will the threat of a Trump sequel push them to make a change? It’s too early to tell.
Tonight, Biden will hold his first solo news conference since November. Tonight, the country will be watching the president. His party will be watching him.
P.S.
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