JUST IN: Biden Campaign Responds To Reports That He’s Dropping Out

The White House has responded to reports that President Biden will be stepping aside this weekend, which have been made by a number of different sources.

On Thursday, independent reporter Mark Halperin told Newsmax that Biden will be stepping aside and will refuse to endorse Vice President Harris. ““This is happening all of a sudden. Everyone said it would happen gradually and then all at once, and that’s what’s happening. According to my sources, President Biden has agreed to step down as a Democratic nominee. It will happen as early as this weekend. A speech has been drafted for him. He will continue on as president, is his intention,” Halperin reported.

The report comes less than 24 hours after the Biden Campaign abruptly cancelled an event in Nevada, citing a COVID-19 diagnosis. In the aftermath of the diagnosis, CNN reported that Biden is “increasingly receptive” to the idea of stepping aside and has been asking questions about the viability of Vice President Harris in a general election.

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“Several top Democrats privately tell us the rising pressure of party congressional leaders and close friends will persuade President Biden to decide to drop out of the presidential race, as soon as this weekend,” Axios reported on Thursday. “Behind the scenes: The private message, distilled to its bluntest form: The top leaders of his party, his friends and key donors believe he can’t win, can’t change public perceptions of his age and acuity, and can’t deliver congressional majorities.”

In response to the avalanche of reports, the Biden Campaign has pushed back and urged Democrats to focus on defeating Trump in November.

“Joe Biden is his party’s nominee. He’s the President of the United States. He’s running for reelection. Baseless conjecture from anonymous sources isn’t a scoop. Tonight a convicted felon will talk about how he’ll make people’s lives worse if he gains power. Let’s focus,” Biden campaign spokesman TJ Ducklo wrote in response to the Axios report.

Fox News reporter Brooke Singman also pushed back on Halperin’s report, citing White House sources. “The President is more committed than ever to winning this election,” one Biden aide told Singman, while Ducklo described the reports as “entirely inaccurate.”

NEW: #Biden campaign @TDucklo tells me this is “entirely inaccurate.”

Another #Biden aide tells me:
“The President is more committed than ever to winning this election.” @JoeBiden @POTUS #JoeBiden

— Brooke Singman (@BrookeSingman) July 18, 2024

Regardless of whether a decision has been made, a number of high-profile Democrats have called on President Biden to step aside.

On Thursday, the Washington Post reported that former President Barack Obama has been telling allies and prominent Democrats that he is not confident in Biden’s ability to win in November. “In some conversations, Obama, who has long looked to data for political insights, has told people he is concerned that the polls are moving away from Biden, that former president Donald Trump’s electoral path is expanding and that donors are abandoning the president,” the outlet reported.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has also told President Biden to step aside in a private conversation, according to reports. Similar conversations have reportedly been had with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).

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