US President Joe Biden faced significant setbacks on Wednesday as prominent Democratic supporter George Clooney urged him to withdraw his re-election bid, and party leader Nancy Pelosi declined to endorse his candidacy.
US President Joe Biden faced significant setbacks on Wednesday as prominent Democratic supporter George Clooney urged him to withdraw his re-election bid, and party leader Nancy Pelosi declined to endorse his candidacy.
In an op-ed published in the New York Times, Clooney wrote, “I love Joe Biden, but the one battle he can’t win is against time.” He expressed concerns about Biden’s age and performance at recent events, stating that he was not the same “big F-ing deal” Biden from 2010.
Pelosi, the former House Speaker, told MSNBC that Biden had limited time to decide whether to run and should consider delaying a final decision until after the NATO summit in Washington.
Biden’s performance at the NATO meeting is being closely scrutinized as he attempts to assure allies of his leadership. However, a growing number of Democrats, including House Representative Michael Bennett, have publicly called on Biden to reconsider his re-election campaign.
Republican challenger Donald Trump has intensified his attacks on Biden, accusing him of health issues and challenging him to a debate and a round of golf.
US President Joe Biden suffered a major blow on Wednesday when actor and prominent Democratic supporter George Clooney urged him to abandon his re-election bid, while party leader Nancy Pelosi refused to endorse his candidacy.
“I love Joe Biden,” Clooney, who organized an all-star cast with Biden last month, wrote in the New York Times. “But the one battle he can’t win is against time.”
“It’s heartbreaking to say, but the Joe Biden I was at the fundraiser with three weeks ago was not the Joe ‘big F-ing deal’ Biden of 2010.
“He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same guy we all saw at the debate.”
At the fundraising event in Los Angeles, co-hosted by Clooney and fellow film star Julia Roberts, Biden appeared tired as he took the stage with former President Barack Obama.
He had flown straight to California from the G7 summit in Italy and has since blamed jet lag and a cold for his disastrous performance during the televised debate with Donald Trump on June 27.
Biden’s bid for a second term in the White House has been under intense pressure since the debate, during which he slurred his words and stood open-mouthed as he listened to Trump.
While leading Democrats largely but unenthusiastically supported him on Tuesday, Biden’s efforts to turn the tide were derailed by the intervention of Pelosi and Clooney.
Former House Speaker Pelosi, 86, said Biden had little time left to decide whether to withdraw his candidacy, ignoring Biden’s repeated urgings that he run.
“It’s up to the president to decide whether or not to run,” she told MSNBC.
“We all encourage him to make that decision because time is running out.”
Pelosi said Biden should delay a final decision until after the 75th anniversary of the NATO summit in Washington, which the US president is hosting this week.
En route to the summit on Wednesday, Biden visited US labor leaders in an effort to drum up support for his re-election campaign.
Biden’s performance at the NATO meeting is being closely watched as he tries to convince his allies that he can still lead the alliance that supports Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
Seven Democrats in the House of Representatives have publicly called on Biden not to seek re-election. A handful of senators have also expressed concerns.
On Tuesday night, Michael Bennett of Colorado became the first Senate Democrat to publicly oppose the president, saying Biden would lose if he remained on the ballot, and that he would potentially cause Democrats to lose Congress as well.
“Donald Trump, I think, is on track to win this election, perhaps overwhelmingly, and win the Senate and the House,” Bennett told CNN, adding that he believes the White House “has done nothing” to demonstrate that they have a plan to win in November.
Republican challenger Trump, 78, has returned to the warpath after a long period of silence following the June 27 debate, accusing Biden of hiding secrets about his health.
“It’s the biggest cover-up in political history,” Trump shouted at a rally in Florida on Tuesday.
The former president challenged his successor to a new debate without moderators and challenged him to a round of golf. (AFP)
