Biden 'Now More Open To Calls To Step Aside'

Joe Biden has reportedly become more open in recent days to hearing arguments that he should step aside as the Democratic presidential candidate after the party's two main congressional leaders told him they doubted his ability to beat Donald Trump.

- Robert Tait

While continuing to insist he will be the party's nominee in November, the president has reportedly started asking questions about negative polling data and whether his vice-president, Kamala Harris, considered the favourite to replace him if he were to withdraw, fares better.

The indications of a possible rethink came after Biden tested positive on Wednesday for Covid-19, forcing him to isolate for several days and curtail a campaign visit to Nevada that had been part of a drive to show his candidacy was very much alive.

It also coincides with fresh polling↑ data showing that he now trails Trump by two points in Virginia, a state he won by 10 points in 2020.

The Emerson College Polling/The Hill survey showed Trump ahead by 45% to 43%, within the margin of error but consistent with a number of other polls showing that Biden's support had fallen in swing states since his disastrous showing at last month's televised debate with Trump in Atlanta.

Biden's newfound receptivity to at least the possibility of stepping aside represents a shift from the position he adopted at a press conference at last week's Nato summit in Washington, when he told journalists he would drop out only if polling data showed him "there's no way" he could win.

"No one's saying that," he added.