Van Jones, a former adviser to President Barack Obama, said Democrats have moved from discussing the possibility of replacing President Biden in the 2024 presidential election to actively planning how to remove him from office.
Jones said there was “total panic” behind the scenes within the party as pressure grew for President Biden to give up re-election after he was harshly criticized for his performance in last week’s debate with former President Trump.
“I understand that people want to defend Biden, protect him, give him the space and dignity to make his own choices,” Jones said of Biden on CNN on Wednesday.
Van Jones says Biden ‘cannot be allowed’ to have ‘senior moment’ during debate
Van Jones (right), a former adviser to President Obama, said Democrats are now actively working to replace President Biden (left) as their top 2024 presidential candidate. (Left: Andrew Caballero Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images; Right: Michael Kovach/Getty Images for Environmental Media Association)
“But right now the big debate is not about whether this will happen, but how it will happen.”
Jones argued that the situation was similar to that of Trump, with surrogates vouching for the former president in public, but that behind the scenes the situation was different.
“Let’s be honest with you, everyone goes on TV and says great things, but behind the scenes there’s panic,” Jones said. “People are passing around legal memos, there’s PDFs flying around on WhatsApp, trying to figure out what their options are. How do we get Biden replaced? How do we get him to act like he’s being respectful when he should be?”
Jones speculated that the party’s nominee would be Vice President Harris, and has now turned to the topic of who her running mate would be.
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President Joe Biden exits with First Lady Jill Biden after the CNN presidential debate in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 27, 2024. Biden has faced growing pressure to step down from the race. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
“Who should be Kamala Harris’ running mate? The on-air conversation is totally different than the off-air conversation,” Jones said of the Biden situation. “You have a great candidate, a great person, a person who loves this country, you have a person who has given every last drop of their life to this country, and he may not get across the finish line,” Jones said. “Any mature political party has to reckon with that, and that’s what’s happening right now.”
The news comes as President Biden is desperately trying to redeem his candidacy and secure the Democratic nomination at next month’s convention.
A new national poll shows former President Trump widening his lead over President Biden in a 2024 presidential rematch after Biden was heavily criticized for his performance in last week’s debate.
A New York Times/Siena College poll showed Trump leading Biden among voters nationwide, 49% to 43%, a 3-point increase in support for the Republican presidential nominee since the last survey. New York Times/Siena College Poll Just a week ago.
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Jones speculated that the party’s nominee would be Vice President Harris, and has now turned to the topic of who her running mate would be. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
Jones hasn’t been shy about voicing his opinion of President Biden since last week’s presidential debate.
“Tonight he was put to the test to restore the trust of the country and the base, and he failed,” Jones said, appearing teary-eyed, moments after the debate that was widely seen as a disastrous outcome for the current commander in chief.
“And I think there are a lot of people who would like to see him consider choosing a different path now.”
Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser and Lindsay Koenick contributed to this report.
