House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (DN.Y.) found himself in the eye of the storm as Democrats weighed the wisdom of keeping President Biden at the top of the ticket following his disastrous debate performance in Atlanta last month.
The Democratic leader is sandwiched between two powerful but opposing forces. On one side is the predilection for supporting your ally in the White House in favor of party unity. On the other hand, there is the growing panic within his group that the president would be an obstacle for Democrats in the elections, undermining the party’s chances of reversing control of the Chamber in this year’s elections.
Only five House Democrats have come forward so far to urge Biden to drop out and make room for another candidate to challenge former President Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee, in November. But that number is expected to rise in the coming days and weeks — especially if polls continue to show that public confidence in Biden’s ability to hold office is waning in the wake of the debate.
The converging dynamics are pushing Jeffries toward a high-stakes decision, with all eyes on the House Democratic Caucus – and the White House – waiting to see how the leader navigates the difficult road ahead.
“Hakeem is very thoughtful and deliberate,” Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), a frontline lawmaker, told The Hill. “He takes his time and that has served him well throughout this term in that he has been able to reach, with others, an agreement to avoid default, a budget agreement and the national security and global aid package.”
“These are not small things and they did not happen without your very deliberate and thoughtful leadership,” Landsman continued. “That’s how he approaches things, that’s how he’s approaching it, which is he takes the time to listen to people.”
In the aftermath of the debate, alarmed Democrats expressed private reservations about keeping Biden at the top of the ticket, but most held their tongues in public — a reflection of their deference and respect for Jeffries as he weighs the path forward. Some said the goal of winning the presidency should trump any loyalty to any one person.
“Our mission is to win the White House and stop Donald Trump from getting there,” said one lawmaker, who spoke anonymously to discuss a sensitive topic. “We need to have a family conversation, basically.”
Many factors will influence that decision — not just the fitness concerns raised by Biden’s performance, but the effects of that performance on donors, voters and front-line Democrats facing tough reelections in swing districts that will decide which party controls the House. in the next year. .
“You might start to get guys who say, ‘Man, we need to put some distance between us and him,’” said another Democratic lawmaker.
Jeffries, for his part, has kept his letters secret, fueling doubts about how he will handle the delicate situation.
The day after the debate, the top Democrat told reporters that Biden should not step aside. But when asked hours later whether the president is the most effective communicator for the party, he appeared to leave the door open to replacing the president.
“Until he articulates a path forward in terms of his vision for America at this moment, I will reserve comment on anything relative to where we are at this moment, except to say that I am behind the ticket,” Jeffries said.
Jeffries attempted to clear up the comments last weekend, telling MSNBC’s “The Weekend” that conversations are taking place “with various parts of the House Democratic Caucus.”
“This is ongoing, this will continue,” he added.
Jeffries has spoken directly with Biden since the debate, a source familiar with the matter told The Hill, and he called House Democratic leadership last week. His office did not respond to requests for comment on Friday.
The decision is easily the most important of Jeffries’ young tenure as leader of House Democrats — a position he took on last year — with the potential to determine whether the party keeps the White House and changes control of the House, where Jeffries would have been. . about to become the first Black Speaker in the country’s history.
However, this is not the first important – nor highly unusual – decision of Jeffries’ leadership tenure. He has already guided Democrats through two historic votes to remove a president from power. At first, he chose not to rescue the former deputy. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) of a conservative coup, which sealed McCarthy’s fate as the first Speaker of the House to be deposed. In the second, he joined most Democrats in protecting House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) from a similar revolt, ensuring that the Louisiana Republican would keep the gavel.
In both cases, Jeffries approached the decision discreetly, withholding any final determinations – at least publicly – until he had the opportunity to meet, in person, with House Democrats to take the temperature of their caucus. That has led to speculation that Jeffries will also follow the same playbook regarding Biden’s future, as Democrats prepare to meet behind closed doors Tuesday morning at the Capitol — their first meeting since Biden’s debate debacle.
Speculation swirling around Biden’s future is the biggest story in the country, and Landsman said it will be the focus of Tuesday’s meeting “for sure.”
“As it’s set up, I’m not really sure how he’s going to do it,” Landsman said, referring to Jeffries.
But as time passes, the pressure – on both sides of the highly contested debate – continues to mount around the top Democrat.
Biden, his campaign and the White House, on the one hand, have challenged the president’s plans to remain in the race, dispelling any notion that the incumbent will not be ready for another four years in office.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Biden told attendees of the Fourth of July barbecue at the White House.
And several of Biden’s allies in Congress firmly support him in this decision.
“I’m not panicking at the moment. Very bad Thursday night, I think everyone has universally recognized that, including the president. But I really don’t feel like he’s incapable of governing, or anything along those lines,” Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.) said last week by phone. “He’s still the leader of the free world and he’s doing a good job.”
At the same time, however, the chorus of Democrats calling for Biden to resign is growing.
Three incumbent House Democrats — Reps. Lloyd Doggett (Texas), Raúl Grijalva (Ariz.) and Seth Moulton (Mass.) — have publicly called on Biden to withdraw from the race, speaking for what sources tell The Hill that there are many Lawmakers behind the scenes who feel the same way.
“This is the worst decision the American people have had to make, probably in my lifetime,” said Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), referring to the distaste for both Biden and Trump.
“You can’t think about the top of the ticket. I’m running to represent my constituents. It’s about me,” Golden continued. “Could this have any effect on me? Clear. But I’ve already shown that I do my own thing. And no one voted against Biden more than me.”
As House Democrats wait to hear from Jeffries, some are watching Biden closely to see if he can bounce back from his poor debate performance, a result that could make the Democratic leader’s decision easier. With that in mind, some have wondered why Biden has had so few public appearances since the debate.
“It’s time for Biden to demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt that he can prosecute this case against Trump, who is unfit to be president and who will overthrow our democracy in our lifetimes,” Landsman said.
Asked if he’s seen that since the debate, the Ohio Democrat responded, “No.”
“Someone has? He tried? he asked. “There were 40 million people watching the debate. It’s more than a rally and an interview.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
