Behind the Curtain: Dems who could decide Biden fate
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President Biden at Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ in Philadelphia on Sunday. Photo: Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images
President Biden is spot on: You can ignore nervous Democrats, the media, pundits, rich donors and elites. They hold no sway over his future.
- But a handful of top Democrats, from former President Obama to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, most certainly do.
Why it matters: They have the credibility and sway to nudge Biden out — or get nervous Democrats to put a sock in it. Most of these deciders are publicly silent or supportive. But all are fielding nonstop calls and texts asking them to take a very public stand, officials tell us.
The intrigue: Here's the dilemma bedeviling most House and Senate Democrats. If they publicly call for Biden to resign and he stays, they risk seeming disloyal and paying a price if he wins. But if they back him forcefully, and Biden has another debate-like moment and loses, they fear looking naive and complicit. Hence, the deafening silence of so many.
- That's why this small group of party leaders will need to decide soon to tell Biden to resign — or his critics to stand down. Truth is, both sides would need a nudge — or a shove.
The players to watch:
- Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi: The former speaker has privately told people she's deeply uneasy with Biden staying in. She loves him. But she's also ruthlessly practical. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries is one of the most cautious politicians in America, so it's hard to see him making a dramatic move. Pelosi, whose office says she has full confidence in Biden, could play the heavy. Biden respects her iconic stature, and knows she pulled miraculous moves to pass his legislative agenda. "He would listen reluctantly, but he'd listen to her," a person close to Biden tells us.
- Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.): Publicly, he's 100% behind Biden. Until he's not. He literally saved Biden in 2020, when Clyburn delivered the then-struggling candidate a big primary win in South Carolina. A Pelosi-Clyburn duet with Biden would move the needle. Right now, Clyburn and the Congressional Black Caucus are Biden's vital firewall.
- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.): The top-ranking Senate Democrat is taking the pulse of his swing-state members and staying behind Biden while he plots his next move. "As I've said before, I'm for Joe," he told reporters Monday. He could quiet the uprising with an unequivocal public message: "Cut the crap." Or end Biden's survival strategy with a blunt, private chat: "It's over." Remember, Schumer's power is on the line, too: A Democratic wipeout lands him back in the minority. A Biden friend said: "He views Schumer as a guy who barters more than he makes decisions."
- Former President Obama: The two men have a complicated, at times rivalrous relationship. But Obama was quick to defend him post-debate, and Biden was grateful. Plus he knows he owes Obama a lot. Obama is under a lot of pressure from top Democrats across the country to shoot straight with Biden. He's the best-known and most popular Democrat in the land so any exit strategy would involve him. But longtime Biden allies say there'd be a risk of an Obama intervention backfiring and making Biden more likely to stay. Biden has long resented what he sees as Obama choosing Hillary Clinton over him in 2016.
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.): He's cautious, with the speakership in sight. He's a power center in the Congressional Black Caucus, which embraced Biden when he joined a Zoom call for 20 minutes on Monday evening. He knows the House map, thanks to redistricting, favors Democrats. Jeffries, 53, needs to flip just four seats to be the first Black Speaker of the House. He has stood by Biden, and said "same answer" Monday.
- The inner circle: Biden's secret weapon has been a deeply loyal top staff that has stuck with him for decades. Think the Donilon brothers (Mike and Tom), Steve Ricchetti, Anita Dunn, Bruce Reed, Ron Klain. If they concluded it was over, it would be. Outside his family, they have as much collective juice as anyone.
- Non-family friends: Former Sens. Chris Dodd and Ted Kaufman are Biden's besties — close enough to have the difficult discussions others fear, or lack the standing to hold. Biden, who called into MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Monday, respects Joe Scarborough as a former officeholder, and has spent unannounced time with him. Jon Meacham, the historian and muse who has consulted with Biden on big speeches, gained credibility by being willing to tell Biden the good and the bad.
Go deeper: Last 10 columns.
