President Joe Biden’s campaign is reportedly testing how Vice President Kamala Harris polls against former President Donald Trump, sources told both The New York Times and NBC News.
Biden has defied calls from some allies for him to step aside following his disastrous debate performance. But the president and his campaign’s stubbornness has not eased concerns about the 81-year-old’s ability to seek a second term, causing speculation on who could replace Biden. Using a survey of voters, the Biden campaign is gaging how Harris would fare against Trump in a head-to-head matchup, three people informed on the effort told the NYT. (RELATED: Obama World Is Circling Joe Biden Like A Wounded Gazelle)
NBC News reported that a source familiar with the decision confirmed the NYT reporting. The polling of Harris’ strength against Trump is in response to the former president “stepping up” his attacks on the vice president at campaign rallies, the source told the outlet.
Harris has naturally been floated as someone who could replace Biden because of her position in the White House, but also because the reelection campaign could only give its current funds to her, the NYT reported. As of May 30, that would be about 91 million cash in hand, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Biden’s One Big Election Advantage Is Quickly Being Erased)
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris introduces U.S. President Joe Biden during a campaign rally at Girard College on May 29, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
In the aftermath of Biden’s debate performance, the president and his family retreated to Camp David to discuss his political future. Biden’s family came out of the weekend urging the president to stay in the race, with Hunter Biden making the push the hardest, sources told the NYT. The president has appeared on local radio stations, ABC News and MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” while making several campaign stops in an effort to show his concerned allies that he is up for the job. With Congress back in session, the calls for Biden to step aside have continued to grow.
Biden is set to hold a press conference at the NATO Summit, his first time taking questions from the White House press corps following his showing on the debate stage.