Comedian and TV personality Bill Maher said Biden will likely withdraw from the Democratic presidential race as soon as Aug. 9, the 50th anniversary of Nixon’s retirement from office, suggesting a withdrawal is inevitable amid growing calls for him to resign.
“One thing I know for sure is the question is not if he will be the presidential nominee, but who will be, because he will not be the Democratic nominee for president,” the “Real Time with Bill Maher” host said. said on Friday“One thing I know for sure about America is that it is run by mean girls: the mean girls in the media, in politics, in life. When they smell blood in the water, they never deny their desire to kill weaker people.”
“Biden’s gone,” he added. “The walls are going to keep coming down, and I predict August 9th is the day he gives up on the office pool.”
The incumbent has come under increasing pressure after a dismal performance in last month’s debate, where he stumbled over his answers and spoke in a husky voice.
Critics have called on the president to drop out of the race and let someone else take on former President Trump, raising questions not only about whether Biden can beat the former president in November but also about whether he has the strength to serve another four years in office.
The president has sought to allay concerns about his mental state by hosting campaign events and speaking to the media, including a high-profile on-camera interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos last week and a solo news conference after the NATO summit on Thursday.
But these efforts have not been enough, and a growing number of Democrats are still calling for the president to step down.
Top House leaders, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, have publicly backed Biden, but reports suggest they are working behind the scenes to remove him from the top of the list.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said he met with President Biden this week and conveyed all of the House Democratic leader’s views to the president.
Maher also dismissed concerns about Biden being replaced in the election’s final days.
“Replacing the president with your party’s nominee at this time is going to seem like a big deal for about three days, but then we’ll all get over it,” Maher said Friday, as he laid out a list of Democrats he thinks could replace Biden.
“Vice President Kamala Harris will receive all of Biden’s campaign funds and, on the biggest Democratic issue, abortion, she’s a reminder to women that Republicans are going after the abortion bill,” he said. “She’s not just defending Plan B. She is Plan B.”
But he added that he doesn’t believe Harris is popular enough to win the presidential election, and said he would vote for the person who “wins.”
“Whatever the reason, Harris was not popular,” he said. “During her four years as vice president, she was quieter than an electric car. And like an electric car, your MAGA uncles can’t explain why she is driven to murderous rage. She does.”
“Life’s not fair sometimes. It’s not fair that she’s not popular,” he added. “She’s smart and talented.”
Maher then criticized Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-Mich.), adding that he disagreed with criticism that Newsom was “sly.”
“Newsom is one of the best communicators in his party and has a history of standing up to bullies,” he argued.
Maher believes Whitmer is a “very attractive choice” because she’s “a high-profile female governor who owns dogs but doesn’t shoot them” — a reference to the controversial storyline used by South Dakota Gov. Kirsty Noem (R) in her memoir, which sparked criticism and likely led her off Trump’s shortlist as a running mate.
The TV host also mentioned Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, saying he is “perfect for this moment” and urged Democrats to turn their attention to governors across the state, especially those who are less well known.
“It’s important to understand that nobody knows who these people are, and that’s a good thing,” he added. “We need new characters in this comedy that we call country.”
But while Newsom and Whitmer have both said they support Biden, dispelling rumors they might be candidates to replace him, the Michigan governor did not rule out serving as his running mate if Harris were to step down.
Still, the president is sticking to his old policy as he faces off against former President Trump in November.
