As questions grow about Biden’s fitness to serve as president, some House Republicans privately worry that placing him at the top of the Democratic field could mean Republicans lose the White House in November.
“It’s probably good for Joe Biden as a person that he doesn’t have to go through this for the next four years, but it’s not good for the party. I’m not sure it’s good for us,” a House Republican told Fox News Digital on condition of anonymity.
“Trump vs. Biden was a very one-sided fight in my opinion. It would be insane for the Democrats to field Biden again. They can’t, and it seems they can’t at this point.”
Republicans said it would be a “tougher race” because of the possibility of a younger, more popular successor.
“This changes everything. It’s a totally unknown wild card right now,” the Republican said.
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President Biden (left) and former President Trump faced off on Thursday. (Win McNamee/Getty Images/Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
They suggested that a popular figure like California Gov. Gavin Newsom or New York could boost Democratic turnout in those states and jeopardize swing seats held by Republicans in lower-district districts.
This comes after Biden performed poorly in Thursday night’s CNN presidential debate, his first since 2020 against former President Trump.
The 81-year-old president’s voice was hoarse, reportedly due to a cold, and he stumbled over his answers multiple times during the primetime event. Viewers also observed that the president appeared tired and noticeably less agile than the last time he faced off against Trump.
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Even Biden’s key allies in Congress acknowledged that he performed poorly. “Clearly, It is a conversation “I believe this needs to be addressed at all levels, with the understanding that this is not just a presidential issue, but a lower-level candidate issue.”
Republicans have long argued that Biden is unfit to be president, but new speculation among Democrats raises a political question for those on the right: Will they have to deal with an opponent they know, or will they be forced to consider an entirely different scenario with less than six months to go until the election?
President Biden’s debate performance sparked speculation about his replacement. (Andrew Harnick/Getty Images)
“I’m both [scenarios] “If Biden is at the top, we know what to expect, but if it’s anyone else, we don’t know,” the second House Republican told Fox News Digital.
One House Republican leader offered a more blunt assessment, telling Fox News Digital bluntly that a Biden run gives Republicans their best chance of winning.
“Any Democrat who could potentially replace Biden would effectively have a significantly increased chance of beating Trump,” a House Republican leader said. “Biden remaining at the top of the list is the best-case scenario for the Republican Party’s three-way split.”
Biden campaign remains silent as party reeles from ’embarrassing’ debate performance
But not all House Republicans are concerned. Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett argued that voters will focus on Biden’s policies while in office, which most Democrats support but Republicans say are hurting the country.
He said the new nominee would ultimately boil down to “a shinier, cleaner version of Joe Biden.”
“What are they going to change?” Burchett asked, speculating that voters would expect the new candidates to support “the same policies that got us into this mess.”
Rep. Tim Burchett disputed Republican concerns about President Biden’s successor. (Alex Wong)
Responding to House Republicans’ concerns, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Chang told Fox News Digital, “President Trump delivered one of the most underwhelming debate performances in history, and the American people witnessed a stark contrast between his proven America First policies and Joe Biden’s failed leadership at every turn…Democrats and their media allies created this problem by turning a blind eye to Biden’s obvious cognitive and physical decline over the past four years, and they must now be held accountable for selecting an incompetent candidate.”
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A new CBS News/YouGov poll released over the weekend found that nearly three-quarters of Democrats believe Biden does not have the cognitive ability to serve as president.
But despite the fallout from his debate performance, Biden has not indicated he plans to step down, and key Democratic allies have publicly supported his decision.
The Biden campaign did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication.
