Newsweek, July 2024
A large number of Black voters think President Joe Biden should not remain in the presidential race, according to recent polls. Biden is facing escalating pressure to step aside following the June 27 debate against former President Donald Trump in which he repeatedly struggled to complete sentences. The 81-year-old president’s rocky performance sparked panic among some Democrats about his age and capacity to serve another term as president and beat Trump in November. A growing chorus of Democrats is now calling on Biden to step aside and be replaced at the top of the Democratic ticket ahead of the election.
Biden has repeatedly insisted he will stay in the race. He received a warm welcome at a Black church in Philadelphia on Sunday as he worked to reassure voters and save his embattled reelection campaign. However, two recent polls found that Black voters—a demographic that helped send Biden to the White House in 2020—think Biden should not stay in the race. Recent polls have shown Biden is losing support among Black voters, a critical part of his base. While Black voters still overwhelmingly back Biden over Trump, small shifts in voting patterns could ultimately sway races in crucial battleground states and affect the outcome of November’s election.
