US election campaign: Is Biden about to withdraw? – Republicans celebrate Trump

In the US election campaign, there are increasing signs that Democratic President Joe Biden may drop out of the race for a second term. His Republican opponent Donald Trump, on the other hand, celebrated with a great spectacle at the party convention in Milwaukee and presented himself stronger than ever after the assassination attempt on him.

Reports of change of heart

While Biden is isolating himself in his private home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, due to a coronavirus infection, the New York Times reported on a possible change of heart on the part of the Democrat. Citing several people close to Biden, it said that the 81-year-old appears to be gradually accepting that he may have to give up his election campaign. However, Biden has not yet made a decision.

According to the report, one of the people said it would not be a surprise if he were to propose Vice President Kamala Harris as his presidential candidate for the November election instead of himself. “The Hill” also cited similar voices. The report also said that well-connected insiders in the Democratic Party assumed that Biden could make an announcement about his political future shortly after the conclusion of the Republican convention in Milwaukee. Publicly, Biden has so far firmly rejected the calls for him to withdraw. His campaign team has also steadfastly emphasized that he has no intention of giving up.

After the assassination attempt on Trump, the debate about Biden’s fitness for a second term briefly took a back seat – but it came back with full force during the week. The president’s corona infection then came on top of that and is likely to give the president time to think. Biden therefore also canceled a visit to the state of Nevada.

More dissidents in Congress

Since his disastrous performance in the televised debate against Trump, various Democrats in Congress have called on Biden to withdraw from the presidential race. While the criticism was initially voiced behind closed doors, more and more members of Congress have recently come forward.

There were also media reports of high-ranking Democrats raising concerns or privately trying to persuade Biden to withdraw – most notably former President Barack Obama and former Democratic Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi.

The Washington Post reported, citing three congressmen, that Pelosi told several party colleagues in parliament that she believed Biden could be persuaded to withdraw from the presidential race fairly soon. The newspaper also said that Obama told trusted people that Biden’s chances of winning the election had fallen sharply and that he should reconsider his candidacy.

The two leading Democrats in the US Congress, Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer, also reportedly warned Biden against sticking to his presidential bid. Since generous supporters play a key role in the race for the White House, there are now also media reports about the impact of the debate on Biden’s campaign budget. The New York Times, citing four people familiar with Biden’s election campaign, reported that financial support had shrunk noticeably.

Balloon rain and family unity at Trump

In stark contrast to the chaos surrounding Biden was the grand finale of the Republican Party Convention in Milwaukee, where a shower of balloons rained down on Donald Trump late in the evening (local time). The 78-year-old was officially chosen as presidential candidate on Monday, but did not give his acceptance speech until the end on Thursday. The day before, his newly announced running mate JD Vance had already addressed the audience. The duo and their families demonstrated unity together on stage at the end.

Trump’s speech was the conclusion of a week packed with high-profile speakers from the right-wing spectrum. Before the ex-president took the stage, ex-wrestler Hulk Hogan and musician Kid Rock, among others, had warmed up the audience. Hogan ripped a T-shirt off his body during his performance – underneath he wore a sleeveless, bright red shirt that read “Trump – Vance 2024”. Kid Rock encouraged the euphoric audience to repeat the slogan “Fight, fight”.

Trump talks about assassination attempt and incites against migrants

In his eagerly awaited speech, Trump accepted the nomination as his party’s presidential candidate amid great cheers. At the beginning, he also talked about the horrific moments of the assassination attempt on him. “I stand here before you, in this arena, only by the grace of Almighty God,” he said, and also remembered the man who was shot at the campaign event in the US state of Pennsylvania. He kissed the former firefighter’s helmet, which was presented on the stage.

Trump began his speech by saying he wanted to be a “president for all of America.” But then he drifted into his usual campaign rhetoric. For example, he spent minutes railing against migrants and using dehumanizing language in this context: “We’ve become a garbage dump for the rest of the world – and they’re laughing at us. They think we’re stupid,” Trump said. In the rest of the speech, he dealt with topics such as inflation and internal security in a similarly radical manner. He also portrayed himself as a victim of the justice system. He only gave his new vice president, Vance, a few sentences.

After Trump’s speech, Biden’s campaign team warned against another presidency for the Republican, who is pursuing an “even more extreme vision for the country.” In it, the Democrats specifically referred to the handbook of the right-wing conservative think tank Heritage Foundation called “Project 2025,” which could serve as a radical blueprint for Trump’s first 180 days in office. Although Trump is officially trying to distance himself from the text, the foundation and the Republican Party are closely linked – it is one of the sponsors of the party convention in Milwaukee.