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The rats are abandoning the ship, as the saying goes. In this case, the Democratic leadership are the ones fleeing, and the ship they're abandoning is President Biden. After the failed assassination attempt on former President Trump, which thrust the country into one of the most tumultuous political weeks in recent memory, chatter is getting louder again within the Democratic Party for Biden to step down.
In a wide-ranging interview for the latest episode of GZERO World, media journalist, and former CNN show host Brian Stelter joins Vanderbilt political historian Nicole Hemmer on a panel with Ian Bremmer to take stock of the week that was and to chart the way forward for the Democratic Party. But there's no getting around the optics. Just as the GOP was displaying a tight-knit sense of unity at the RNC convention in Milwaukee, the Democrats were in disarray. Stelter says that when it comes to Joe Biden's future, the writing is on the wall.
"It's been drip, drip, drip, drip, drip for the better part of a month now. Through reporting, through analysis, through polling, through donor statements, and probably most importantly from the statements of elected officials, it is clear the Democratic Party elites are not with Biden. And I don't see that tide turning."
But even if every senator, official, and elder statesperson in the Democratic elite urges President Biden to get out of the race, it's up to the man himself to make that decision. And as he recovers in isolation from COVID, there's not indication yet that Biden's any closer than he was weeks ago, after his disastrous debate performance, to passing the torch. In the meantime, the Dems will wait and worry, and the only thing they'll be passing are the Tums.
Look for the full interview with Brian Stelter and Nicole Hemmer on GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, airing on US public television soon (check local listings.)
Season 7 of GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, the award-winning weekly global affairs series, launches nationwide on public television stations (check local listings).
New digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube. Don''t miss an episode: subscribe to GZERO's YouTube channel and turn on notifications (🔔).