To Drop Out or Not? Former Obama Adviser Gives Mixed Signals On Whether Biden Should Continue His Campaign

A senior adviser to former President Barack Obama, David Axelrod, suggested President Biden should drop out of the race since he may be running against Donald Trump.

After tweeting poll numbers by The New York Times, Axelrod commented, tagging the President and suggesting Biden should do what’s best for the country. “Only @JoeBiden can make this decision,” he wrote. “If he continues to run, he will be the nominee of the Democratic Party. What he needs to decide is whether that is wise, whether it’s in HIS best interest or the country’s?”

Polls published on Nov. 5 show Trump leading Biden in five of six key battleground states — Nevada by 10 points, six points in Georgia, Arizona, and Michigan by five points, and four points in Pennsylvania. In Wisconsin, Biden took the lead over Trump by only two points.

While Biden was a favorite in the six battleground states during the 2020 elections, survey

results sang a different tune regarding his popularity. It is slowly declining in supporters under the age of 30. Axelrod says his age, despite Vice President Kamala Harris expressing that the 80-year-old is ready for battle, is a liability.

“The greatest concern is that his biggest liability is the one thing he can’t change,” Axelrod wrote Sunday. “Among all the unpredictables, there is one thing that is sure: the age arrow only points in one direction.”

From Black voters, 22% were registered to support Trump in the battleground states. Survey participants claim they trusted Trump over Biden in a 59% to 37% margin regarding the economy.

However, Axelrod dialed back on his tweets. In an interview, the former political strategist said he never told Biden to drop out, calling it an “overreaction.” “It’s overreacting to say I told him to drop out,” Axelrod said. “I didn’t do that. He’s the only one to make the decision. And if his decision is ‘no, I’m the best person to take this on,’ then he will.” 

As his comments began circulating, they made it to Washington, D.C., with White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates saying, “We appreciate his thoughts.”