Biden, House Democratic leader meet, discuss ‘path forward’

Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader of the United States House of Representatives, said in a letter to his colleagues on Friday (12) morning that he met with President Joe Biden on Thursday (11) evening.

“The meeting took place last night. In my conversation with President Biden, I directly expressed the full breadth of ideas, candid perspectives, and conclusions about the path forward that the Democratic leadership has shared in our recent time together,” Jeffries said.

The meeting took place after Biden’s news conference, according to a source familiar with the meeting.

However, Jeffries did not offer his support to Biden during the meeting, according to a source.

A person familiar with the meeting told CNN that Jeffries “bluntly” shared the leadership’s views (as he stated in his letter), but pointedly did not offer an endorsement or say publicly that the decision to step away from the campaign was Biden’s.

While it is unclear whether Biden asked Jeffries directly for support, a person familiar with the matter noted that the House leader did not extend it in the meeting or in Friday’s public letter.

Press conference and pressure against candidacy

On Thursday night, Biden held a press conference, in which he answered questions about the government, but mainly about his reelection bid.

The US president called Vice President Kamala Harris Donald Trump, former head of state and Republican Party candidate for the 2024 elections.

At another point, he stressed that Harris is qualified to be president of the United States and praised his running mate.

All of this is happening amid pressure from within the Democratic Party against Biden’s candidacy. Several lawmakers and donors have publicly called for the leader to withdraw from the race.