Biden's Political World Collapsing
Historians Weigh In On What Would Happen If Biden Steps Down
At least three more House Democrats called on President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race, as the 80-year-old leader faces mounting pressure from within his own party to step aside and make way for a younger candidate.
If Biden were to step down, it would be unprecedented for a president to drop out of a reelection campaign so late in the process. And experts say it would set off a chaotic scramble to find a replacement candidate who could unify the Democratic Party and compete against the Republican nominee.
"It would be a complete, total mess," said Julian Zelizer, a presidential historian at Princeton University. "The Democrats would be scrambling to find someone who could step in and take over the campaign, and there's no guarantee that they would be able to find someone who could do that successfully."
In an interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos on July 5, Biden joked that only "divine intervention" could change his mind about running for reelection. But since then, pressure on him to withdraw has intensified, with several prominent Democrats expressing doubts about his ability to handle the rigors of another presidential campaign.
The latest calls for Biden to step down came from Reps. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), and Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.). In a statement, Phillips said that "the time has come for President Biden to step aside and allow a new generation of leadership to take our country forward."
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