The odds that President Biden would give up his 2024 re-election campaign have soared to more than 80% — as the once-defiant Democratic nominee is said to be “soul-searching” about drop out of the race.
The odds of the 81-year-old president stepping down were at 84% and rising as of early Friday, according to the predictive betting website Polymarket.
Those odds soared after his train wreck debate against former President Donald Trump on June 27 when the odds had hit a low of 19%.
Since then, Biden has faced mounting pressure — both publicly and behind closed doors — from heavyweights within his own party to relinquish his position at the top of the ticket.
The defiant commander-in-chief has so far been adamant that he will remain in the race for the White House. “I am all in,” he promised as recently as Wednesday, the day he was confirmed to have Covid.
Privately, however, speculation has been rife that he is now taking calls to step aside seriously, and several Democratic officials believe an exit is only a matter of time, multiple sources told Reuters.
“His soul-searching is actually going on, I know that for a fact,” a source said. “He’s thinking about this very seriously.”
Another source, who is a Democratic congressional aide, said the writing appeared to be on the wall for Biden after top Democrats including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reportedly urged him this week to drop out of the race.
“It feels like it’s a matter of … when, not if,” the aide said.
“Yes, it’s over. Just a matter of time,” added another source, a Biden campaign official.
However, a spokesperson for the Biden campaign rejected suggestions that he is ready to step aside.
“He’s not second-guessing anything. The president has made his decision,” said deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks. “Joe Biden has said he’s running for president of the United States. Our campaign is moving forward.”
With pole wires