Did poor polling data force Biden to drop out of US Presidential race? – Times of India

Did poor polling data force Biden to drop out of US Presidential race? – Times of India



After weeks of denying that US President Joe Biden would drop out of the presidential race regardless of calls from senior Democratic leaders, the US president on Sunday introduced that he has determined to withdraw from the 2024 reelection race. The choice got here after a tense 48 hours of scrutinising polling information that indicated his possibilities of securing a second time period had been dwindling, Reuters reported quoting two sources near the matter.
Up till Saturday, Biden had been assuring his aides of his dedication to the marketing campaign. “The message was to proceed with the whole lot, full velocity forward,” Reuters reported quoting a supply. Marketing campaign schedules had been being drafted for his return to the White Home, the place he had been recovering from Covid-19 at his seaside home in Delaware.
Nonetheless, by Sunday morning, Biden had a change of coronary heart. In line with sources who spoke to the BBC beneath the situation of anonymity, the president made the ultimate choice to withdraw from the race. He then knowledgeable chief of employees Jeff Zients, marketing campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon, and Vice President Kamala Harris individually.
At 1.45pm EDT (1745 GMT), Biden held a video name together with his high White Home and marketing campaign employees, together with Anita Dunn, his communications strategist. A minute later, he launched a public assertion that despatched shockwaves by the political panorama and dramatically altered the 2024 election dynamics.
“He mentioned he had been reflecting on it over the previous couple of days,” a senior White Home official informed the BBC. Although Biden didn’t initially point out Vice President Harris in his assertion, he later tweeted his endorsement for her. In line with BBC sources, the 2 had a number of discussions all through the day main as much as the announcement.
A lot of the White Home and marketing campaign employees weren’t pre-informed of Biden’s plans and came upon through social media. Following the announcement, Chief of Employees Jeff Zients held a name with White Home officers and emailed the West Wing employees to verify the information and specific gratitude for his or her efforts, Reuters mentioned. He additionally convened a name with the president’s cupboard secretaries.
The choice was influenced closely by inside polling information reviewed late on Saturday. Prime aides introduced Biden with alarming figures displaying him trailing in all six important swing states and struggling in historically safe states like Virginia and Minnesota. Isolating at his Rehoboth Seashore dwelling since testing optimistic for Covid-19, Biden spent the weekend grappling with the information and the rising strain from some Democrats urging him to exit the race, as per reviews.
Accompanied by senior aides Annie Tomasini, Steve Ricchetti, Mike Donilon, and Anthony Bernal, a high aide to First Girl Jill Biden, the president in the end determined to step down. He shared his choice throughout the name by studying the letter he would quickly launch publicly.
“He learn the letter to us and needed us to know his considering. He mentioned he had wrestled with it during the last 48 hours,” one official recounted.
Instantly after the decision, chief of employees Zients knowledgeable the senior White Home employees. “This was actually intently held,” the official mentioned. “It got here as a shock to most White Home of us,” the reviews mentioned.







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