MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough said President Joe Biden is refusing to drop his reelection bid because his aides have “financial” interests, prompting anger from other Democrats.
Scarborough, whom Axios reported Biden loves to watch and calls to “vent” about media coverage, pointed out that the Democratic president’s sagging support is putting swing states “in play” as donors flee. The “Morning Joe” host urged Biden’s inner circle to “do the right thing.”
“Joe Biden has been, at least by our count, Joe Biden’s been an extremely successful president. I will say, though. When you’re told by members of Congress that they’re losing, they’re gonna lose the House or Senate if he stays on the ticket. When you’re told by members of Congress who have seen the polls that you’re losing swing states, that your numbers are going down in swing states, in states like Virginia, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Minnesota, are now in play,” Scarborough said.
“And when your top fundraiser over the past five, six, seven, eight years is telling you the money’s gone, the donors have all gone away. You know, it’s really incumbent on people that are around Joe Biden to step up at this point and help the president and help the man they love. And do the right thing,” the co-host stated.
“This is not going to end well if it continues to drag out,” he continued. “Look at the events of yesterday. The events of the last three weeks. At some point, you know — I can tell you, Mike, the anger that I hear is not at Joe Biden. The anger I hear are at the people that are keeping him in a bubble.” (RELATED: Pissed Off Joe Scarborough Calls Out His Own Network While On TV)
“Or have their own interests,” co-host Mika Brzezinski commented.
“Or who may have their own interests, some financial, in keeping him in the race. That is the real anger,” Scarborough said. “And let me tell you, that’s not just the anger from inside Congress. That is anger from inside the political — his own political camp. And it is widespread. It is widespread. Joe Biden deserves better. He deserves better than he is getting from those closest to him.”
Reports emerged late Wednesday that Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi all privately spoke to Biden about their concerns regarding his reelection campaign. Schumer held a “blunt one-on-one conversation” with Biden on Saturday, a source told ABC New Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl.
The correspondent further reported that a “Jeffries spokesman” told him the House Minority Leader sent a letter to the president that “expressed a similar view.” Pelosi told the president behind closed doors that polling data shows his continued pursuit of a second term may cost Democrats their seats, four sources briefed regarding the call told CNN.
Democratic California Rep. Adam Schiff became the 21st congressional Democrat to publicly call for Biden to step down on Wednesday. This came after one congressional Democrat told Puck News that as many as 50 people on a “rambling” Zoom call with Biden were “ready to come out publicly against him” Saturday if not for the attempt on 2024 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s life.
Biden reportedly canceled an appearance at a UnidosUS conference Wednesday evening in Las Vegas after testing positive for COVID-19. The president said in an interview released hours earlier that doctors could persuade him to drop out if a “medical condition” emerges.
