Hakeem Jeffries, leader of the Democratic party in the United States House of Representatives, said in a letter to his colleagues this Friday (12) morning that he met with President Joe Biden on Thursday (11) evening.
“The meeting took place last night. In my conversation with President Biden, I directly expressed the full breadth of ideas, candid perspectives, and conclusions about the path forward that Democratic leadership has shared in our recent time together,” Jeffries reported.
The meeting took place after Biden’s news conference, according to a source familiar with the meeting.
However, Jeffries did not offer his support to Biden during the meeting, according to a source.
A person familiar with the meeting told CNN that Jeffries “bluntly” shared the leadership’s views (as he stated in his letter) but intentionally did not offer an endorsement or say publicly that the decision to step aside from the campaign is Biden’s.
While it’s unclear whether Biden directly asked Jeffries for support, a person familiar with the matter noted that the House leader did not extend it in Friday’s meeting or public letter.
Press conference and pressure against candidacy
On Thursday night, Biden held a press conference, in which he answered questions about the government, but mainly about his re-election bid.
The American president called Vice President Kamala Harris Donald Trump, former head of state and Republican party candidate for the 2024 elections.
At another point, he highlighted that Harris is qualified to be president of the United States and praised his running mate.
All of this happens amid pressure within the Democratic party itself against Biden’s candidacy. Several parliamentarians and donors publicly asked the leader to leave the electoral dispute.
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