President Joe Biden is “willing to listen” to pleas from others that he end his reelection campaign and allow someone else to run on the Democratic ticket amid concerns over his mental fitness, according to a newly released report.
The New York Times reported Wednesday that, while Biden is determined to stay in the race, he has become more open in recent days to hearing arguments in favor of him dropping out.
The newspaper quoted an unnamed source close to Biden as saying that the Democrat incumbent is “willing to listen,” though there was no indication he was changing his mind at present.
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Another unnamed source said to be close to Biden told the Times that the president was open to these pleas due to concerns over recent polling, especially in swing states, and issues with cash donations.
Over the past couple of weeks, many prominent Democrats and progressive-leaning figures have called on Biden to drop out of the race and have someone else secure the party’s nomination for president.
While many have speculated about Biden’s mental and physical health during his term in office, his widely criticized debate performance last month spurred greater concern about these issues.
The Times editorial board is among those who have called for Biden to step aside, writing in a piece published shortly after the debate against Trump that “Biden is not the man he was four years ago.”
“He struggled to explain what he would accomplish in a second term. He struggled to respond to Mr. Trump’s provocations. He struggled to hold Mr. Trump accountable for his lies, his failures and his chilling plans. More than once, he struggled to make it to the end of a sentence,” stated the editors.
“As it stands, the president is engaged in a reckless gamble. There are Democratic leaders better equipped to present clear, compelling and energetic alternatives to a second Trump presidency.”
For his part, Biden has stood by his decision to continue running for reelection, recently telling NBC News anchor Lester Holt that his mental fitness is just fine and that he can defeat Trump.
“I’m old,” Biden said. “But I’m only three years older than Trump, No. 1. And No. 2, my mental acuity’s been pretty damn good. I’ve gotten more done than any president has in a long, long time in 3½ years. So I’m willing to be judged on that.”
NBC News noted in its report, however, that during the interview with Holt, “Biden mumbled at some points, and his voice trailed off at others.”
According to a survey published Wednesday by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, nearly two-thirds of Democrat respondents believe Biden should drop out of the race, while only about a third think he “has the mental capability to serve effectively as president.”
