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‘Lose by a landslide’: New push for Joe Biden to drop out

Four more senior Democrats are calling for US President Joe Biden to end his re-election bid as a top strategist delivers a dire warning.

Joe Biden trying to stay positive as he continues campaign trail

Four more senior House Democrats are calling for US President Joe Biden to end his re-election bid, according to multiple reports.

Jerry Nadler, Joe Morelle, Adam Smith and Mark Takano have all called on Mr Biden to step aside for the 2024 presidential race during a two-hour call with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, sources told Politico and the New York Times.

US President Joe Biden speaks to supporters and volunteers during a visit to the Roxborough Democratic Coordinated Campaign Office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Picture: AFP
US President Joe Biden speaks to supporters and volunteers during a visit to the Roxborough Democratic Coordinated Campaign Office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Picture: AFP
Joe Biden greets supporters in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Picture: AFP
Joe Biden greets supporters in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Picture: AFP

The four Democrats made their claims during a meeting to address the party’s anxieties and concerns over Mr Biden’s ability to win in November.

It came as a former strategist for Barack Obama predicted Mr Biden could “lose by a landslide” if he stays in the race.

“He’s not winning this race,” David Axelrod told CNN’s Inside Politics.

“If you just look at the data and talk to people around the country, political people around the country, it’s more likely that he’ll lose by a landslide than win narrowly this race,” he said.

NEW REVELATION ABOUT BIDEN’S ‘BLACK WOMAN’ GAFFE

Mr Biden’s staff planted the questions he was asked in a radio interview in which he bizarrely claimed he was proud to be “the first Black woman to serve with a Black president”.

The shocking revelation came as more Democrats called on the 81-year-old to quit the election race against Donald Trump and the former president mocked his opponent’s “powerful and far-reaching campaign”.

Andrea Lawful-Sanders, the host of The Source on Philadelphia radio station WURD, was one of two radio broadcasters to interview Mr Biden several days after his disastrous debate performance against Trump which sparked mass panic among Democrats.

In an interview on Saturday (local time) on CNN, she said the White House had sent her eight questions she could ask Mr Biden, the oldest president in US history.

“The questions were sent to me for approval; I approved of them,” she said.

“And the four that were chosen were the ones that I approved.”

US President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event in Madison, Wisconsin. Picture: AFP
US President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event in Madison, Wisconsin. Picture: AFP

Despite that, Mr Biden still stumbled in the interview, with the embarrassing gaffe in which he tried to reference Vice President Kamala Harris sparking more negative headlines.

CNN host Victor Blackwell asked Ms Lawful-Sanders and Milwaukee radio host Earl Ingram – who also interviewed Mr Biden – about their questions because they were similar.

“The reason I ask is not a criticism of either of you,” Mr Blackwell told them.

“It’s just that if the White House is trying now to prove the vim, vigour, acuity of the President, I don’t know how they do that by sending questions first, before the interviews, so that the President knows what’s coming.”

On Mr Ingram’s show, Mr Biden also gave a confusing answer when he was asked why voting matters, as he referenced the Supreme Court’s decision to give Trump immunity over his official acts as the president.

ABC US Exclusive interview with President Joe Biden post the debate. Picture: ABC
ABC US Exclusive interview with President Joe Biden post the debate. Picture: ABC

Lauren Hitt, a spokeswoman for Mr Biden’s re-election campaign, told The New York Times the questions were supplied by his campaign team which she claimed was “not uncommon”.

She said the interviews were not conditional “on acceptance of these questions”.

“Hosts are always free to ask the questions they think will best inform their listeners,” Ms Hitt said.

In a prime-time TV interview on Friday (local time), in which Mr Biden was dismissive of concerns about his age and health, he argued there had been “no slipping” in his limited public events since the debate.

He said he believed polls showing him trailing Trump were inaccurate and that only “the Lord Almighty” could convince him to drop out of the election race.

Speaking to Good Morning America co-anchor George Stephanopoulos, Mr Biden said he performed poorly because he was “feeling terrible” and had “a really bad cold”. Picture: ABC
Speaking to Good Morning America co-anchor George Stephanopoulos, Mr Biden said he performed poorly because he was “feeling terrible” and had “a really bad cold”. Picture: ABC

In response, a fifth Democratic member of Congress broke ranks to tell him to quit, with Minnesota’s Angie Craig saying she did not believe he could “effectively campaign and win”.

Trump, in a post on his social media platform, said Mr Biden “should ignore his many critics and move forward”, mockingly suggesting he “should be sharp, precise and energetic, just like he was in the debate”.

The President refused calls in the TV interview to take an independent neurological or cognitive test, maintaining his medical team said he was in good health.

First Lady Jill Biden’s ex-husband chimed in saying he thought Mr Biden should have a “cognitive test”.

Bill Stevenson, who was married to Jill Biden from 1970 to 1975, told The New York Post Saturday: “It’s what the whole world is thinking about. I feel badly that this guy is someone who now can’t make a decision in the middle of the night.”

“Watching…it was clear Joe Biden has deeper issues. He was very defensive.”

On Saturday (local time), the New York Post revealed Mr Biden’s personal doctor Kevin O’Connor met at the White House in January with a leading expert on Parkinson’s disease.

Several weeks later, Dr O’Connor said in his annual review of Mr Biden’s health that an “extremely detailed neurologic exam” showed no results that would be consistent with disorders including Parkinson’s or multiple sclerosis.

He said he was a “healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male, who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency”.

Originally published as ‘Lose by a landslide’: New push for Joe Biden to drop out

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Original URL: https://www.themercury.com.au/news/world/joe-bidens-team-planted-questions-in-radio-interview-he-made-his-black-woman-gaffe/news-story/607d08db06217b677515378004f537a5