Jeffries stands by Biden as House Democrats jump ship

On Friday alone, at least seven Democratic Congress members called for President Joe Biden to end his presidential campaign, bringing the total now to 27 Democratic lawmakers, but House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is emphasizing his support for Biden. 

“He’s one of the most accomplished American presidents in our history,” Hakeem said during a press conference. “He has the vision … and the track record to make a case to the American people that will result in us being successful in November.” 

Calls for Biden to step down began just after the end of the first presidential debate, with Biden fumbling through his words, calling into question whether he is suffering from severe cognitive decline.

The Democratic party remains sharply split as leaders like Jeffries and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) continue to back the president publicly, though reports about what’s going on behind the scenes differ. However, some in contentious races such as Sen. Jon Tester (R-MT) fear Biden is hurting their chances to win. 

In two separate private meetings, Jeffries, who is publicly standing by Biden, and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told the president that if he continues to run, it could negatively affect the party’s ability to win the House or the Senate, the Washington Post reported.

Biden, who was recently diagnosed with COVID-19, is off the campaign trail for the weekend. He was scheduled to speak at the UnidosUS annual conference in Las Vegas, the nation’s largest Latino civil rights organization.

However, while Biden claims to be back campaigning next week, the Washington Examiner previously reported that Biden’s family members are waiting on the president to end his reelection bid.

Jeffries has already flirted with the idea of holding a mini-primary in the case that Biden does drop out.