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Steve Ricchetti, a longtime companion from Joe Biden’s Senate days, drove to the president’s Delaware shore house on a Friday.
By Saturday, Mike Donilon joined him. Both were crucial advisors during Biden’s previous presidential runs in 2016 and 2020.
They maintained their distance due to testing positive for COVID-19 but shared critical information that would influence Biden’s career dramatically.
They presented concerns from lawmakers and updates about the campaign’s stagnating fundraising.
Additionally, they brought the campaign’s latest polls, showing no viable path to victory in November.
Biden inquired with several questions during this conversation.
Sunday morning, the only people present with Biden at his residence were First Lady Jill Biden, deputy chief of staff Annie Tomasini, and assistant Anthony Bernal.
At 1:45 p.m., Biden informed a select group of close aides that he had decided the previous night to end his reelection campaign.
He read his letter aloud, expressing gratitude for their service.
Immediately after, he posted this letter on social media from his campaign account.
This announcement stunned the political world. Democrats went from criticizing him privately to showering him with praise for his service and selfless decision, which they said put the country first.
Biden had not grown weary of the defections within his party but finally accepted what many Democrats had concluded after his poor debate performance: he could not win.
The campaign’s recent polls in battleground states confirmed this, showing Biden trailing in all six critical swing states and even faltering in traditionally secure states like Virginia and New Mexico.
Understanding that senior Democrats, including former Senate colleagues, would soon intensify their public pressure on him, Biden saw a sudden exit as a way to end his campaign on his terms.
This was particularly important for Jill Biden, who wanted to preserve her husband’s dignity.
Some senior aides were aware that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had been orchestrating efforts to consolidate Democratic opposition to Biden’s campaign.
Pelosi’s message was clear: end the campaign voluntarily or face public opposition.
Biden’s team planned to continue the campaign, with Biden himself vowing to return to the campaign trail next week.
A half-dozen House and Senate Democrats had prepared to publicly call for Biden’s withdrawal if he did not do it himself.
Party leaders like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi had already sent strong signals to Biden behind the scenes.
A Democratic lawmaker familiar with the situation indicated that Biden had understood the collective message from his party to step aside.
Despite an energetic rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, and plans to reframe his debate performance through interviews, the damage was done.
Public and private conversations among Democratic leaders had begun to build a consensus for Biden to exit the race.
Pelosi’s appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” signaled that the president’s candidacy was not a foregone conclusion.
Biden held private conversations with Pelosi, Jeffries, and Schumer. Schumer even visited him in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
Although Jeffries released a neutral statement about his meeting with Biden, leaks soon revealed that both Pelosi and Schumer had urged Biden to reconsider his candidacy.
Former President Barack Obama’s private concerns about Biden’s campaign also emerged, adding to the growing pressure.
Despite a strong showing in Detroit, where Biden attacked former President Trump directly, it was clear the campaign needed a change.
This culmination of events led to Biden’s decision to step down, marking the end of a significant chapter in his political career.