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President Joe Biden is being “more receptive to calls of concerns” following a spate of campaign setbacks, a senior Democratic source told CNN.
Though the president has not made such remarks publicly, and has vowed previously he will stay in the presidential race until November, CNN reports that in private, Biden’s attitude appears to have softened.
“The private conversations with the hill are continuing, [and] he is being receptive, not as defiant as he is being publicly,” the source said, per CNN.
Biden is reportedly also asking questions about the viability of Kamala Harris taking his place at the top of the Democratic ticket. “It is unlcear where he might land [on the issue] but he seems to be listening,” the source said.
It comes as Biden, 81, tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of a scheduled appearance in Nevada on Wednesday.
The president was due to speak at the UnidosUS Annual Conference in Las Vegas on Wednesday evening, before the news of his positive test was announced.
A statement from the White House confirmed the news and said Biden would be returning home to Delaware to self-isolate in accordance with CDC guidelines, but would continue to carry out all of his duties “fully” during that time.
Footage showed the president arriving to the airport in Las Vegas and boarding Air Force One. He was not wearing a mask, and mouthed that he was “good” to reporters, before making his way slowly up the steps of the aircraft.
The reported “receptive” remarks about his future are a distinct departure from previous defiant statements made by the president in recent weeks. The president has reiterated that he is the only man capable of beating Donald Trump come November.
“Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running … no one’s pushing me out,” Biden said on a call with staffers from his reelection campaign earlier this month. “I’m not leaving. I’m in this race to the end and we’re going to win.”
The concerns over his ability stemmed from a one-on-one debate with Trump on June 27, widely viewed as a disaster for the president.
In the aftermath, Biden blamed his poor performance on a busy travel schedule, saying it wasn’t “very smart” to travel globally beforehand and claiming he “almost fell asleep” on stage. Despite this, he swore he would push on.
He later told congressional Democrats in a letter that he would press on with his reelection bid and hit back at party “elites.”
“I want you to know that despite all the speculation in the press and elsewhere, I am firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race to the end, and to beating Donald Trump,” Biden wrote in the letter, obtained by CNN.
Despite a growing group of Democratic lawmakers, including US California Rep. Adam Schiff clamoring for Biden to step aside, the Democratic National Committee is said to be moving ahead with plans to virtually nominate Biden ahead of the party’s convention in August.
