Biden tests positive, power struggle intensifies: a sign of withdrawal from the election?
On July 17, local time, the White House announced that US President Biden tested positive for the new coronavirus.
This news undoubtedly brings uncertainty to the ongoing presidential campaign.
Biden reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus after his first event in Las Vegas that day.
Although he has received a booster shot and currently only has mild symptoms, the incident has attracted widespread attention.
Biden is currently in Las Vegas on his presidential campaign trip and had planned to speak at the nonprofit organization UNIDOS to attract Latino voters.
However, with the news that he had tested positive for COVID-19, those plans had to be put on hold.
Biden will return to his home in Delaware to quarantine and continue working from home.
This incident undoubtedly caused a shock within the Democratic Party.
Previously, due to Biden's poor performance in the first presidential election televised debate with Trump on June 27, there were constant calls for him to withdraw from the election within the Democratic Party and the media.
On July 10, U.S. Democratic Senator Peter Welch published an article in The Washington Post, publicly calling on Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, becoming the first Democratic senator to make a clear statement.
Welch noted that the current conversation is focused on the president's age and ability, which could cause serious political damage to Democrats in the November election.
Although Biden himself has rejected calls to withdraw from the race and insisted that he is the best candidate to defeat Trump, the controversy within the party has not subsided.
According to the US Columbia Broadcasting Corporation, dozens of Democratic members of Congress are expected to issue statements calling on Biden to withdraw from the election in the next 48 hours.
Meanwhile, Democratic donors have begun looking for potential replacements.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and California Governor Gavin Newsom are being considered possible alternatives, according to the Financial Times.
Even as they publicly endorse Biden, their donors and fundraisers appear to have begun preparing for a possible campaign.
This series of developments not only reveals the divisions and disputes within the Democratic Party, but also reflects the power struggle in the American political ecology.
Biden's predicament and discontent within the party add more uncertainty to the upcoming election.
At this critical moment, the Democratic Party needs to weigh various factors and make the choice that is most beneficial to the long-term interests of the party.
Regardless of the final outcome, this "role-changing" drama on the political stage deserves our continued attention.