Scoop: Biden poised to face "deluge" of fresh calls to drop out

• Others are "getting closer" to that decision, the lawmaker added.
• Another House Democrat told Axios: "This whole discussion isn't over — just because of the way the election is turning away from us."
• "Maybe the press conference will have an effect, but I'm not sure that changes the dynamics of the race."

What they're saying: Some members pointed to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggesting lawmakers "hold off" on making their views on Biden's candidacy clear until after the NATO summit ends on Thursday.

• "I believe some are waiting until after — what Nancy [Pelosi] said — after NATO. But I believe you'll hear more today," said Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), who has already publicly urged Biden to drop out.
• Others were simply waiting until Congress went into recess, which also happened Thursday, and could release their statements before the press conference, according to a third House Democrat who spoke to Axios on the condition of anonymity.

State of play: Over a dozen House Democrats have publicly urged Biden to withdraw from the race, with Reps. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), Ed Case (D-Hawaii) and Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) adding their names to the list within hours of this story's original publication.

• Others have signaled they're likely to release similar statements, with Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio) telling CNN on Thursday morning that he's getting "closer and closer" to it.
• So far, Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) is the only Democrat in that chamber to call publicly for Biden to leave the race, but more could soon join him.

Reality check: Biden has repeatedly emphasized that he's not dropping out and congressional Democrats should stop asking him to.

• He has also received public pronouncements of support from dozens of House and Senate Democrats.
• The Biden campaign is trying to calm nerves within its staff, saying in a memo obtained by Axios: "While there is no question there is increased anxiety following the debate, we are not seeing this translate into a drastic shift in vote share."

What they're saying: Multiple House Democrats told Axios that even a strong performance by Biden at the press conference likely wouldn't change the dynamic on Capitol Hill.

• "I'm skeptical there's going to be any interview, press conference or debate that's going to put to rest the persistent concerns about the president," said a fourth House Democrat.
• A fifth told Axios: "I think people are just waiting until after the [NATO summit] is done, regardless of how he does ... They just don't want to take away from his discussions with world leaders."

Yes, but: A subpar performance could prompt an even larger wave of statements, according to several lawmakers.

• Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) told Axios: "I don't know that he could fix everything, but he could certainly accelerate the crash … There's just no longer any margin for error at this point."
• "If he does bad, it's going to speed things up," said the fifth House Democrat, adding that he can likely only turn things around if he "does a backflip and a one-armed push-up."
• A senior House Democrat said if Biden does a "really solid press conference, that will dampen down concerns," but if it "suggests he's really slowed down, it's going to be a deluge."

The bottom line: Even some lawmakers who think Biden will do well at the press conference are skeptical it can turn around his fortunes.

• Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.) told Axios he expects Biden to have a "pretty powerful press conference," but "it just comes down to objective data. Poll numbers are coming back, we'll see what the fundraising is."
• "If they have different data than what's coming out, they ought to come up to the Hill or invite us up to the White House to see that," Bera said.

Editor's note; This story has been updated with additional calls for Biden to step aside.