High-level Democratic Party operatives reportedly pressured Biden to step down from office, threatening to forcibly remove him if he did not comply, according to sources who spoke to The New York Post. The strategic move to prevent Biden from seeking re-election has been in the works for weeks, though Biden resisted it at every turn, sources said.
As part of this plan, Biden participated in a live TV debate against Republican candidate Donald Trump in Atlanta last month. The debate was intended to demonstrate Biden's declining abilities to the public. During the 90-minute session, Biden appeared confused and at one point froze, a performance that further swayed opinion against his re-election bid.
“That debate was a set-up to convince Democrats that he couldn’t run for president,” a source close to the Biden family told The Post.
Despite mounting calls for him to step aside, Biden was determined to continue his campaign. However, party leaders threatened to invoke the 25th Amendment, which allows the vice president and cabinet members to declare the president unfit for office and remove him.
In a surprising turn, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate for president. However, sources indicate that Democratic delegates are being encouraged to support Arizona senator and former astronaut Mark Kelly instead at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month. Key figures, including former President Barack Obama, have yet to endorse Harris.
“We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead,” Obama said on Sunday.
Following the debate, Hunter Biden took a more active role in his father's affairs, attending all meetings. “Hunter felt he [Joe Biden] was being set up and he was very concerned about his father,” the source said. “These people, these officials were not on Joe’s side.”
Biden's staff was reportedly blindsided by his decision to withdraw from the race, which had been decided by Tuesday. The announcement letter posted to Biden's X account was typed on his private letterhead rather than official White House stationery and was signed electronically, further surprising many. “Everyone was totally shocked,” the source said. “It was pretty telling that Jill Biden tweeted a heart emoji and nothing else.”
Insiders within the Democratic Party have been aware of Biden's declining state for at least two years. “When I saw him a couple of years ago, it was frightening,” the source revealed. “He was just repeating slogans and had no idea who I was.”
