A Democratic coup to replace President Joe Biden as the party's presidential nominee appears to have stalled following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on Saturday night.
Party insiders suggested that efforts to remove Biden as the Democratic nominee would "lose all momentum" in the wake of the shooting, as per The Telegraph UK.
Biden has faced increasing calls to step down from the 2024 election after public gaffes, starting with the first presidential debate with Donald Trump on June 27. Despite this, the 81-year-old President has steadfastly refused to suspend his campaign, challenging his critics to contest his nomination. Over 20 sitting Democrats have publicly called for his withdrawal.
The situation for Biden deteriorated further earlier this week when he mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as "President Putin" and Vice President Kamala Harris as "Vice President Trump" during a NATO summit.
However, political strategists believe that the internal Democratic drama has been overshadowed by the attempt on Trump's life, which resulted in the death of a rally attendee.
“I think it’s over,” a Biden ally told NBC News. “You just lose all momentum.”
A second insider noted the difficulty of addressing Biden's potential exit from the race in the current context. “It’s really hard to have that conversation publicly,” they said. “This event blocks out the sun right now.”
The shooting incident could potentially boost public support for Trump, who is already leading Biden in most swing states and holds a slight lead in national polls. Historical precedents, such as the eight-point poll boost Ronald Reagan experienced after being shot in March 1981, suggest that Trump could see similar gains.
On Saturday night, the implied probability of a Trump victory on U.S. political betting markets surged to 70 percent.
Biden has called for political unity in the aftermath of the incident, describing the attack as "sick." However, some Republicans have accused him of contributing to anti-Trump rhetoric.
“There’s no place in America for this kind of violence,” Biden said in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
Some Democrats believe that Biden now has an opportunity to demonstrate presidential leadership on the national stage as Washington and the world respond to the first credible assassination attempt on a U.S. president in 40 years.
In response to the attack, the Biden-Harris campaign announced it was "pausing all outbound communications and working to pull down our television ads as quickly as possible."
The Democratic Party's internal turmoil and the assassination attempt on Trump have created a volatile political landscape as the nation prepares for the 2024 election. With Biden's future as the Democratic nominee now more uncertain, the party must navigate the complex aftermath of these unprecedented events.