Former Obama administration official Van Jones said he has heard from more and more Democrats in private who believe President Joe Biden should be replaced after his dismal performance at last week’s presidential debate.
Now a political commentator for CNN, Jones disclosed that Democrats are “quietly talking about trying to replace” Biden as the party’s nominee in 2024.
“Behind the scenes, it’s full-scale panic. People are passing around legal memos, PDFs are flying back and forth on WhatsApp, trying to figure out what are the options?” Jones said on Wednesday. “How can you replace Biden? How do you get him to do it in a way where he feels respected, as he should be respected? Who should Kamala Harris’ vice president be? The conversation on air and the conversation off air are completely different.”
“We have someone who loves this country. We have someone who has given his all – I mean, his all, to the last drop – for this country, but he may not be able to get across the finish line,” Jones said of the president. “A mature party has to take that into account, and that is what’s happening. I understand people want to, you know, defend him and protect him and give him the space and the dignity to make his own choice. But there is a big conversation happening right now about how this happens – not whether.”
Now the right is in full chorus for Joe Biden to withdraw as Democrat nominee. On Tuesday, Representative Lloyd Doggett of (D-TX) became the first Democrat in Congress to call for Biden to drop out and was soon followed by Representative Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ).
“What he needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat — and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race,” Grijalva told The New York Times.
Despite the mounting calls, Biden has stated time and time again that he is not dropping out. On Wednesday during an interview with a Milwaukee radio show, the president shrugged off his lackluster debate performance.
“I had a bad night,” Biden said. “And the fact of the matter is that I screwed up. I made a mistake. That’s 90 minutes onstage – look at what I’ve done in three and a half years.”