Efforts to replace President Biden as the Democratic Party’s 2024 nominee have lost momentum in the wake of the assassination attempt on former President Trump and are essentially “over,” according to a new report, an ally of the president.
Democratic lawmakers and big donors had been calling on Biden to drop out of the race over the past week and weekend, and Biden’s supporters now say the assassination attempt on Trump has undermined his critics.
“I think it’s over,” one of the president’s aides told NBC News. “It’s just lost all momentum.”
“They were having a really bad day politically, and then this supernova happened. Now it’s frozen,” a Democratic strategist told the outlet. “For anyone who’s saying, ‘How do you tell an old man it’s time to go?’ it’s really hard to have that conversation in public. This event is blocking out the sun right now.”
Trump claims he was ‘shot by a bullet’ in assassination attempt at Pennsylvania rally
Efforts to replace President Biden as the Democratic nominee in 2024 have lost momentum following the assassination attempt on former President Trump and are essentially “over,” an ally of the president said. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Senatar)
Biden addressed the nation shortly after Saturday’s assassination attempt, condemning the violence and saying he was praying for Trump and his family.
“I have received reports of a shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania,” Biden said in a statement. “I am pleased to hear that Mr. Trump is safe and well. As we await more information, we are praying for Mr. Trump, his family and all those who were at the rally. Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for evacuating Mr. Trump to safety. Violence like this has no place in America, and we must come together as a country to condemn it.”
Trump rally security revealed in assassination attempt
Biden later spoke with Trump by phone, though details of the conversation have not been made public. Biden also met with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Butler Mayor Bob Dandoy.
Republican candidate Donald Trump is seen bleeding from his face as he is escorted off stage by Secret Service agents during a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)
The Biden campaign responded swiftly, halting plans for attack ads against Trump for the time being, and according to NBC News, staffers have been instructed “to refrain from any comments on social media or in public.”
Attempt to assassinate President Trump at Pennsylvania rally leaves two injured, including the shooter, two dead
“The effort to oust Biden appears to be over. He has no intention of voluntarily stepping aside at this point,” another Biden supporter told the outlet. “Biden has shown he’s going to fight.”
The Biden campaign responded swiftly in the wake of the assassination attempt, suspending plans for attack ads against Trump for the time being, and instructing staff to “refrain from any comment on social media or in public.” (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The assassination attempt Republican National Convention Trump is set to be formally nominated as the 2024 Republican presidential candidate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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The Democratic National Committee told Fox News it is in the process of removing the ads that were placed on 57 city buses in Milwaukee, home of the Republican convention, on Monday.
Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
