Democrats Argue Over Upcoming DNC Pre-Convention Virtual Vote to Nominate Biden

As more lawmakers call for Biden to drop out of the presidential race, including Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Jared Huffman (D-CA), Democratic National Committee (DNC) leaders are pushing back on pressure to delay a virtual roll call vote in late July to formally nominate Biden for the presidency.

For Context: The DNC had planned the virtual vote in order to nominate a candidate by August 7, which at the time was the deadline under Ohio law to appear on the state’s ballot. But in May, the Ohio legislature passed a law to extend the deadline to August 23, a few days after the Democratic National Convention.

Key Quote: Schiff said in a statement that Biden “has been one of the most consequential presidents in our nation’s history, and his lifetime of service… has made our country better… But our nation is at a crossroads. A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November.”

How the Media Covered It: Outlets from the right quoted Schiff on his “serious concerns” about Biden, while left-leaning outlets included his quotes praising the president and urging him to “cement his legacy.” Fox News (Right bias) said in its headline that Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) “pushed to delay [the] DNC,” clarifying in the second paragraph that the proposed delay was for the virtual vote rather than the convention itself.