Democrats are calling for the replacement of President Joe Biden as their party’s nominee following last Thursday’s tumultuous debate performance. In verity, they should be more worried about the implications of a second Trump term.
The idea of a current president dropping out of the race this deep in is as much of a reach as it sounds––though it is not entirely impossible. Delegates from the democratic party would have to select a new nominee at the Democratic National Convention in August, and of the roughly 3,900 delegates, the majority of them have already committed their vote to President Biden.
It’s also important to note that the Biden-Harris campaign has not provided any indication that President Biden could drop out of the race. On Wednesday, July 3, President Biden vowed that he would stay in the race ahead of a meeting with the country’s democratic governors, rejecting growing pressure to resign.
“I am running. I am the leader of the Democratic Party. No one is pushing me out,” Biden said, according to a top aide who posted the comment to X.
In June, the Biden-Harris campaign raised $127 million, including $38 million after Biden’s concerning debate performance. Much of that continued success could be attributed to the solid policy and messaging that cut through Biden’s stumbling speech. A highlight of this was addressing the inequities in the Black community and the acknowledgment that more needed to be done to level the playing field, which resonates with those impacted by said inequities.
That said, CNN’s choice to bar Black media outlets from the debate raises concerns about influence and voter suppression in Black and brown communities. A study completed in May 2024 suggests that while 83% of Black voters lean Democrat, only 77% said they would consider voting for President Biden in November. Those numbers may be more skewed after the debate.
“The last presidential election was decided by Black voters,” Ken Lemon, NABJ President, said in a statement to EBONY. “Many of them rely on Black-owned media for accurate information about our community. They shouldn’t be denied access to such a significant debate through what, for many, is their primary source of news.”
The truth is, the President’s slowed, stumbling speech is alarming and should be taken seriously, and several names are floating out there to potentially replace Biden, such as Vice President Kamala Harris, California Governor Gavin Newsome and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. However, the president’s action plan and policies withstand that of Donald Trump.
One set of ideas that both democrats and republicans have their eyes on is Project 2025, a conservative-led playbook that lays out a step-by-step strategy ready for day one of the next conservative administration.
President of the Heritage Foundation and the project’s architect Kevin Roberts, told MSNBC that that one of his organization’s objectives is to institutionalize “Trumpism” and called Donald Trump the “standard for conservatism.”
What is most alarming about Project 2025 is its extreme policy and personnel changes, including getting rid of the Department of Education and the Trump-enacted, Biden-repealed Schedule F policy, which would allow the future administration to reclassify tens of thousands of federal workers as political appointees. In turn, Schedule F would also allow for mass dismissals of government employees unwilling to comply with the president’s decisions.
While it’s certain that President Biden may not be the best performer for the Democratic party––they still have several weeks to decide for themselves––his vision for the next four years doesn’t involve upending fundamental principles of this country, unlike his competitor.
