Transcript
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Now, to the Democrats, President Joe Biden is isolating at his Delaware Beach home with COVID, and the questions continue over his ability to win reelection in November.
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
The top congressional Democrats recently spoke privately with the President and indicated they shared concerns they're hearing from lawmakers about his White House bid. Another prominent Democrat called for him to step aside. But Biden's campaign insists that he is not going anywhere.
MARTIN: NPR congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh is with us now to tell us more about all of that. Good morning, Deirdre.
DEIRDRE WALSH, BYLINE: Good morning, Michel.
MARTIN: So who is President Biden speaking with, and what are they saying?
WALSH: The president has a very small circle of political advisors. It's mostly his family, a handful of long-time staffers and friends. But for political counsel, he also relies on former speaker Nancy Pelosi. He credits her with helping get through most of his legislative accomplishments. Also Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, a top ally for years in the Senate. He spoke recently with both of them, along with House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries. CNN reported that Pelosi told Biden that she saw polls saying that he couldn't win and that he would ruin Democrats chances to flip the House. Separately, a couple of outlets reported Schumer and Jeffries, basically said the same thing. None of these leaders have publicly denied these reports or come out and stated affirmatively that they want Biden to stay in the race. Instead, through their spokespeople, they're dismissing these reports as quote, "idle speculation."
Pelosi's spokesperson said the feeding frenzy from anonymous sources misrepresents any conversations she may have had with Biden. But, you know, Michel, Pelosi is considered her party's sharpest political strategist. Democrats I talked to say the former speaker is working behind the scenes very deliberately, diplomatically. Another influential leader weighing in with Biden is former President Obama. A source familiar with his thinking tells NPR Obama views himself as a sounding board with his former vice president and is very protective of Biden's legacy.
MARTIN: So recognizing we're all kind of reading tea leaves here...
WALSH: Right.
MARTIN: ...Is there any sign that this is having any impact?
WALSH: Potentially, a Biden advisor told our colleague Tamara Keith the campaign hasn't had enough "good moments," quote, to get us back on solid footing. You know, covering Pelosi, if she thought her message was getting through to Biden behind the scenes about these party worries, it's unlikely there would be these anonymous reports, and if she really disputed them, she would be forcefully out there. We have seen her do strategic television interviews. What leaders are not saying right now really speaks volumes here.
MARTIN: So, talk about these public calls for Biden to step aside. Are any of them particularly noteworthy?
WALSH: Right. They had paused after the assassination attempt on Trump. But a second senator yesterday came out, Montana Senator Jon Tester, who's probably the most vulnerable Senate Democrat. He publicly called for Biden to withdraw. Tester represents a state Trump won by double digits in 2020. Another influential voice weighed in. NPR obtained a letter from Maryland Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin that he sent on July 6. Almost two weeks ago. Raskin didn't explicitly call on Biden to step aside, but he talked about his legacy. He also compared him to an aging baseball pitcher, citing an example about a baseball championship series where the pitcher refused calls to be taken out of the game when he was tiring out. He stayed in, and his team ultimately lost.
MARTIN: That is NPR's Deirdre Walsh. Deirdre, thank you.
WALSH: Thanks, Michel.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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