Biden to drop out? Rumors fly

Rumors have been flying all weekend to the effect that President Joe Biden will withdraw from the Presidential race.

Biden drop out rumors on NBC

NBC News contributed the first Biden drop-out rumor yesterday evening at 8:24 p.m. EDT. A five-member team reported that the Biden family would gather today at Camp David, the official Presidential retreat. The family had planned, before Thursday’s Presidential debate, to gather at Camp David. But the NBC team cited five anonymous sources as saying “the future of [Biden’s] re-election campaign” will be Topic A at the family discussion everyone now expects to take place.

By all accounts, including several who watched the debate live, Biden’s performance was abysmally poor. He shuffled onto the debate stage, his mouth hanging open, while Trump confidently strode onto the stage. At the end, First Lady Jill and an unnamed male employee assisted the President down three shallow stage steps. This has caused many fellow Democrats to express worry that he can’t win the election after all.

To be sure, the senior leaders of the Party – i.e., former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton – express unreserved support.

Likewise, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), House Minority Leader, has denied flatly any plans to ask the President to drop out. But two different sources say Jeffries and Reps. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have privately expressed worry.

Long-term and worsening cognitive deficit

Slim Cohen at The Place indicated one reason for the concern. Apparently some of the President’s aids have let another rumor slip. Namely that the President has a serious cognitive disorder, is subject to “sundowning,” and in general can function only between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. local time.

The debate began at 9:00 p.m. EDT, and some say the “sundowning” was obvious. Sources describe the aides as “deeply shaken” when watching the debate. Some have wondered whether Biden can even complete his current term.

Yet after his debate, he made a “fiery” speech the next day in North Carolina. Of course, that speech happened in mid-day, lending further support to the “sundowning” observation.

Separately, other rumors have Govs. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) and Gretchen Whitmer (D-Mich.) on the short list to replace Biden. Vice-President Kamala Harris is not pleased to hear this.

Presidential inability?

Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), Speaker of the House, has publicly called on the Cabinet to sign onto a Vice-Presidential Declaration of Presidential Inability, per Amendment XXV Section 4 of the Constitution. Vice-President Harris would have to sign off on this, of course. Such a declaration would make her Acting President, unless and until the President declared himself able to return to duty. Even then, Harris would have four days to double down on her declaration. This would force an immediate Congressional vote, because Congress is still in session.

However, Congress would then have twenty-four hours to pass a resolution with two-thirds of both chambers to support Harris. Whether such a resolution would get two-thirds of either chamber is an open question. Democrats might want to stand by Biden on general principles. They might also not want to hand over the Executive branch to one many of them consider a raving maniac.

At time of writing, no word has come from Camp David. Thus any family discussion on “the future of the campaign” is still ongoing.