It has been a terrible week for President Joe Biden’s campaign — and his reelection bid just saw it end on an even worse note.
Biden’s reelection longshot faces new challenges after a recent Economist/YouGov poll revealed overwhelming Democratic support for Vice President Kamala Harris as a replacement candidate.
This development comes at the end of a tumultuous week for the Biden campaign, fueling speculation about his political future.
The poll, conducted from July 13-16, found that a stunning 79 percent of Democrats would support Harris as the party’s nominee if Biden were to withdraw from the race.
This brutal news coincides with growing calls within the Democratic Party for Biden to step aside following his widely criticized debate performance against former President Donald Trump last month, where the 46th president’s cognitive failure was on full display.
Adding to Biden’s woes, 51 percent of Americans are now demanding he withdraw and allow another Democrat to replace him on top of the 2024 presidential ticket. Among Democrats who think he should pass the torch, 68 percent cite concerns about his age, health, and cognitive function as the primary reason.
The timing of this poll is particularly significant, coming after a week of intense scrutiny and negative press for the Biden administration. Reports of internal party dissent and public statements from prominent Democrats urging Biden to reconsider his candidacy have dominated news cycles.
Some political insiders are now speculating that Biden might announce his withdrawal as early as this weekend. The White House insists Biden has no intention of dropping out, but admitted on Wednesday that an official medical condition would cause him to reevaluate his candidacy.
Despite the growing pressure, the poll indicates that most Americans (65 percent) believe it’s unlikely Biden will actually withdraw from the race. Only 19 percent think it’s likely he will step aside.
As the 2024 election approaches, these poll results underscore the complex political calculus facing the Democratic Party. While Biden remains the incumbent, the strong support for Harris suggests that many Democrats are open to a change at the top of the ticket.