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Some Democrats working for Joe Biden believe he would only step aside if given a “dignified” exit.
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Biden is facing pressure to drop out of the race after his disastrous debate performance.
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The New York Times reported that Biden’s family is urging him to continue his campaign.
Some Democrats working for President Joe Biden believe he would only step aside for another candidate if he was afforded a “dignified way out,” The New York Times reported.
Unnamed sources told the Times that Biden would only bow to pressure to drop out of the race if he could “claim credit” for defeating former President Donald Trump in 2020, restoring the country, and paving the way for the next generation of Democrats.
The sources told the Times that Biden is a proud man, but stepping aside is not out of the question, though they estimated the odds of him trying to stay in the race were still 4 or 5 to 1.
The newspaper also noted that Biden’s family is urging him to continue his campaign despite concerns raised by his poor debate performance against Trump on Thursday, which highlighted long-standing concerns about his age.
The Times said that Biden was at Camp David over the weekend with his wife, children, and grandchildren, who did not dispute that the president had performed badly in the debate.
However, according to a source familiar with the conversations, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, they believe he is still capable of serving another four years and will maintain a united front.
Another anonymous source told the Times that Biden’s son Hunter Biden, recently convicted of three felony charges, was among the strongest voices encouraging his father to stay in the race.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
The newspaper reported that family members, excluding First Lady Jill Biden, were frustrated with Biden’s staff, including Anita Dunn, a senior White House advisor, and Bob Bauer, the president’s personal attorney, who role-played Trump during debate rehearsals.
One person familiar with the conversations also mentioned concerns about Ron Klain, the former White House chief of staff, who oversaw debate preparations, according to the Times.
The newspaper, citing an unnamed source, said family members complained the president was overloaded with statistics and was made up to look pale during the debate.
Klain, however, told the Times that Biden would stay in the race.
“He is the choice of the Democratic voters,” Klain told the outlet. “We are seeing record levels of support from grass-roots donors. We had a bad debate night. But you win campaigns by fighting — not quitting — in the face of adversity.”
In a recent CBS News-YouGov survey, based on a national sample of 1,130 registered voters, 76% of voters said Biden should not be running for president, with 46% of registered Democratic agreeing he shouldn’t.
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