Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has admitted to playing a pivotal role in convincing Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. According to The New York Times, Schumer personally urged Biden to step aside during a private meeting at the president’s Rehoboth Beach home, warning him of the catastrophic consequences if he stayed in the race.
“If you run and you lose to Trump, and we lose the Senate, and we don’t get back the House, that 50 years of amazing, beautiful work goes out the window,” Schumer reportedly told Biden. He didn’t mince words, adding, “But worse — you go down in American history as one of the darkest figures.” Schumer concluded with a blunt suggestion: “If I were you, I wouldn’t run, and I’m urging you not to run.”
This revelation comes after Biden’s disastrous debate performance against Trump in late June, which sent shockwaves through the Democratic Party. Concerns about Biden’s age and mental sharpness, which had been quietly brewing for months, became impossible to ignore.
Behind the scenes, Schumer was actively working to manage the fallout. He advised major Democratic donors to keep their concerns private, warning them that public criticism would only make Biden more defiant. “Do not be public,” Schumer told them. “That will get his back up, and you’ve got to let the dust settle.” Instead, he encouraged backchannel pressure through Biden’s campaign and the White House.
Schumer wasn’t alone. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) also lobbied for Biden to step down, pushing for Kamala Harris to take over the ticket. Jeffries reportedly told allies, “The most powerful narrative in American politics is change. Harris would represent change.”
However, not everyone in Biden’s inner circle agreed. Senior adviser Steve Ricchetti dismissed the growing concerns, insisting, “We can get through it. We think our allies on the Hill are wrong.”
But as reports from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal later revealed, concerns about Biden’s health and stamina were widespread among his aides. One report stated, “[Biden] looks a little older and a little slower with each passing day.” Even those closest to him privately questioned whether he could endure the pressures of the presidency for another four years.
Ultimately, the combined pressure from party leaders like Schumer and Jeffries, coupled with Biden’s visible decline, forced the president to bow out. Now, with Biden gone and Kamala Harris poised to take center stage, the Democratic Party faces an uphill battle to rebuild before the 2024 election.