Biden Faces More Challenges as Clooney Says President Should Quit Race

George Clooney, a close Hollywood ally, said President Biden should quit the race to give Democrats a chance of defeating Donald Trump, while former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated Biden’s political fate remained an open question despite his insistence that he wouldn’t be pushed aside. 

The developments underscore the continuing uncertainty surrounding Biden, two weeks after a disastrous debate that raised concerns about his ability to win re-election this fall. The 81-year-old president has vowed he wouldn’t exit the race and has worked to convince voters he deserves another term. He plans to hold a press conference Thursday evening and then sit for a television interview Monday amid broad concerns he is up to the job.

“It’s up to the president to decide if he’s going to run,” Pelosi said in an interview on MSNBC, when asked if she supported Biden as the Democratic Party’s nominee. “We’re all encouraging him to make that decision, because time is running short,” she said, while urging fellow lawmakers to hold off on weighing in until after the North Atlantic Treaty Organization meetings wrap up this week.