NBC News chief political analyst Chuck Todd said a high-level cabinet member told him in 2022 that President Joe Biden “can’t run again like this.”
Some members of the media and the Democratic Party are weighing whether to oust Biden from the ticket following his notorious performance at the June 27 debate. A growing number of congressional Democrats are urging Biden to withdraw from the race and be replaced with a different nominee who they feel will be better suited to defeating former President Donald Trump.
“But I had a cabinet secretary two years ago, okay? Two years ago, all out of the blue, ask me, ‘do you really think he can’t run again like this?’ And I said, ‘well, you have more interaction with him than I do,’ and he said, ‘I don’t have a lot of interaction with him.’ This is a pretty senior cabinet secretary and this was two years ago. This is one of those, you know, it’s the classic open secret to non-versation, right? It’s the story everybody knows,” Todd said on his show, “The Chuck ToddCast.”
Chuck Todd says a senior cabinet member told him in 2022 that Biden “can’t run again like this” pic.twitter.com/rnWHeuzvNM
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) July 10, 2024
Biden has committed to staying in the 2024 presidential race despite a growing amount of his allies casting doubt at the idea that he is capable of serving another four years. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a consistently staunch defender of Biden, left the question open as to whether the president should remain in the race. (RELATED: ‘Am I Speaking English?’: Pelosi Snaps At Reporter Questioning Biden’s Ability To Serve Second Term)
“It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run,” Pelosi answered. “We’re all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short. I think overwhelming support of the caucus, it’s not for me to say. I’m not the head of the caucus anymore, but he’s beloved. He is respected and people want him to make that decision. Not me.”
Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett became the first congressional Democrat to oppose Biden’s candidacy in a July 2 statement. Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, New York Rep. Jerry Nadler and Washington Rep. Adam Smith are among others in the party to urge Biden to step down.
Hollywood actor George Clooney called for Democrats to replace Biden in a New York Times op-ed, three weeks after holding a fundraiser for the president.
A series of polls found Trump’s support has nearly doubled since the debate, with surveys conducted by The New York Times/Sienna College and The Wall Street Journal showing Trump’s average national lead jump from 1.5 to 3.2.
