Clock ticking on Biden as pressure to quit race increases

The walls appear to be closing in on President Biden.

Nancy Pelosi, Hakeem Jeffries, Chuck Schumer and Adam Schiff, are about as influential as you can get within the Democratic party - and whilst not all of them have publicly called for Mr Biden to step down - the fact they’re not denying reports of private conversations is notable.

Ms Pelosi in particular is a battle scarred politician who is very likely playing a game of 3D chess.

She doesn’t want to be accused of disloyalty to the president she admires, but equally doesn’t want to be seen as complicit if Democrats suffer huge losses under Mr Biden in November’s election.

It’s reported in the New York Times that Mr Schumer was shown data from a top Democratic fundraising committee that alarmed him - the president is trailing behind in the must win states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Many analysts believe Mr Biden’s pathway to victory lies through these Midwest must-win states. There’s also some evidence that Nevada, Georgia and Arizona could be slipping away.

• Can Biden be replaced as nominee? Not so easily

President Biden himself has revised his view on what it would take for him to bow to the growing pressure.

He’s gone from “only the Lord Almighty” can make him stand down, to telling BET (Black Entertainment Television) he would re-evaluate his campaign if his doctor diagnosed him with a medical condition. Then he announced he had Covid.

While he’s suffered with the illness before, it’s exacerbated the ongoing concerns about his age, health and fragility.

To now get “general malaise” as the doctors put it, is not a great look for a leader many Americans already worry is past it.

Former President Trump’s assassination attempt appeared to have quelled the Democratic rebellion a week ago, but perhaps the reality is it’s compounded it.

Politics isn’t just about the strength of policies. It’s about projecting physical strength as a leader.

Many Republicans here at the RNC said to me they’re happy for Mr Biden to stay in the race because they believe he’s no competition for Trump. And polls aside, their confidence is not unfounded.

Yesterday’s video of a fragile President Biden walking slowly down Air Force One alongside images of a death-defying Donald Trump pumping his fist shouting ‘fight fight fight,’ is just too stark a contrast.

But ultimately the decision to stand down has to come from Mr Biden who is dismissive of polls, pointing to Mr Trump’s election 2016 victory and his own in 2020 as well as the midterms.

There are also Democrats who are still fully behind the president and consider him to still be sharp.

But with the Democratic National Convention a month away, it feels as if the clock has again reset and is ticking.