President Joe Biden acknowledged that his Democratic delegates are “free to do whatever they want,” — but said what they want is to back him.
“Obviously they’re free to do whatever they want. But I got overwhelming support, overwhelming support,” he said in a Thursday evening press conference. “I won — I forget how many votes I won in the primary, but [it was] overwhelming. And so tomorrow, if all of the sudden I show up at the convention and everybody says we want somebody else, that’s the democratic process. It’s not gonna happen.”
Biden fielded question after question about his 2024 candidacy and the calls from elected Democrats and celebrities for him to exit the race. He said many of those politicians are worried about their own elections and implied that he will not sink their races even if loses.
When asked if Democratic National Convention delegates could vote for someone else at next month’s Chicago convention, Biden said, “Sure.” Biden won roughly 99% of the 3,939 delegates in a noncompetitive party primary this spring, though the delegates are not legally bound to back him in Chicago.
Biden also said that Vice President Kamala Harris is ready to be president one day, but that his leadership is needed during the next four years.
“Do you think our democracy is under siege based on this [Supreme] court? Do you think it is under siege based on Project 2025?” Biden said. “We have never been here before. That’s the other reason why I didn’t hand off to another generation — I’ve got to finish this job. I’ve got to finish this job because there’s so much at stake.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Harris has fared relatively well in hypothetical polls taken since Biden’s disastrous June 27 debate. But when asked directly if she should take over based on those figures, he declined.
“No [I won’t drop out], unless they came back and said, ‘There’s no way you can win,” Biden said. “No one is saying that. No poll says that.”
