Seventeen members of Congress have now called on President Joe Biden to stand down from his reelection bid, but a key senior ally — Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) — said Friday morning he’s sticking with the incumbent after a steady press conference performance.
“I am all in,” Clyburn said on NBC’s “Today Show.” “I’m riding with Biden no matter which direction he goes, no matter what method he takes. I’m with Joe Biden.”
Clyburn is a prominent senior Democrat who played a large role in helping Biden secure the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. In the interview, he urged Democrats to “focus on the substance of this man, rather than these sometimes misspoken words and phrases,” indicating the debate over Biden’s fitness and viability should be over.
But he didn’t completely close the door on Biden standing aside. He added that if the president “decides to change his mind later on, then we will respond to that. We have until the 19th of August to open our convention.” Clyburn also expressed full confidence in Vice President Kamala Harris.
There are already signs that the press conference did little to convince the Biden doubters, though. A number of Democrats who’ve called for Biden to stand down from pursuing his reelection bid acknowledged the president had a good night during his NATO press conference but that it didn’t fundamentally change their view of his chances in November. A couple of examples:
Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), who called for Biden to step down minutes after the presser wrapped: “Imagine that three months from now, we get another performance like there was in the debate, right before the election,” he said on CNN. “Do you want to take that risk? I don’t.”
Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), who called for Biden’s to stand aside hours before Biden’s public appearance Thursday, also to CNN: “The fact is we can’t have a situation where every day we’re holding our breath, whether it’s a press conference or a rally.” (He added that calls to his office asking Biden to stand aside outnumbered those wanting him to stay 30 to 1.)
In short: Democrats are not aligned on the path forward at the end of another week. Friday may be telling in whether additional rank-and-file members ask the incumbent to abandon his presidential reelection bid.
