Following pressure from a top Democrat on Wednesday, President Joe Biden is willing to withdraw from his re-election bid in the upcoming election only if doctors order him to rest.
The statement was first made by Biden regarding his withdrawal from the White House race, shortly after Rep. Adam Schiff, a key California ally, urged Biden to “pass the torch.”
“If I had some medical condition that came up, if somebody, if the doctors came in and said, 'You have this problem, that problem,'” Biden said. Black media exit BET in an interview recorded Tuesday, when asked what might make him reconsider his stance.
The 81-year-old has been fighting for his political survival since his disastrous performance in the presidential debate, in which his confusing answers raised concerns about his age.
Schiff, who is expected to win a Senate seat this year, was also the first Democrat to step forward and call on Biden to drop out of the presidential race.
“A second Trump presidency would undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the president can defeat Donald Trump in November,” Schiff said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.
Meanwhile, around 20 House Democrats and one senator have urged the president to withdraw from the presidential race. However, Biden believes he is the most suitable candidate to defeat his opponent, Donald Trump.
Speaking to NBC on Monday, the Democrat said his mental health is “pretty good” and he is ready to win the upcoming election.
Faced with mounting pressure on Biden, Democrats said Wednesday they plan a virtual nomination for the president in the first week of August, ahead of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Aug. 19.
However, several lawmakers are against the virtual nomination and have criticized the decision.
Biden insists Democratic voters support him, but an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll Wednesday said nearly two-thirds want him to step aside.
