US President Joe Biden steps off Air Force One as he arrives at Hagerstown Regional Airport in Hagerstown, Maryland, June 20, 2024, on his way to Camp David.
Samuel Corum | AFP | Getty Images
President Joe Biden is under siege from within his own party, as more Democrats — in private and in public — urge him to end his reelection bid in the wake of his damaging debate against Donald Trump.
Biden’s efforts to shore up confidence in his candidacy have failed to close the growing rift between him and his party. And while he has so far roundly rejected the calls to step aside, Biden said Tuesday that should a “medical condition” emerge, it could force him to rethink his decision to stay in the race.
On Wednesday, Biden, 81, tested positive for Covid-19. His doctors say his symptoms are mild.
Realistically, the only way to replace Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket at this stage in the campaign cycle is if he agrees to drop out voluntarily, or if he dies or suffers a “disability.”
After breezing through the primary virtually unopposed, Biden has won almost all of his party’s 4,000-plus delegates, who are selected in large part because of their loyalty and support for their chosen candidate. Those delegates are set to vote for their presidential nominee in a virtual roll call in early August, before the Democratic National Convention.
If Biden ends his campaign before voting begins, the pledged delegates could cast their ballots for a new candidate. According to the DNC rules, If no candidate won a majority on that first ballot, then the more than 700 “superdelegates” could join in subsequent votes.
The voting would then continue until one candidate won a simple majority of delegates.
If Biden were to die, resign or suffer a “disability” after the convention adjourned on Aug. 22, then the Democratic National Committee chair — currently Jaime Harrison — would confer with top congressional Democrats and the Democratic Governors Association about a replacement, per…
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