Journalist and Newsmax commentator Mark Halperin said Thursday that multiple sources have told him embattled President Joe Biden plans to withdraw from the presidential election as early as this weekend, with Sunday most likely.
"According to multiple Democratic sources, this is happening all of a sudden," Halperin told "Carl Higbie FRONTLINE" from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. "Everyone said it would happen gradually and then all at once. And that's what's happening. According to my sources, President Biden has agreed to step down as the Democratic nominee. It will happen as early as this weekend.
"A speech has been drafted for him. He will continue on as president. He also will not, I'm told, endorse Vice President [Kamala] Harris as his successor. They're hoping that he will endorse an open process in which the convention will be open to Vice President Harris and a few other candidates in Chicago to pick the Democratic nominee for president."
Halperin first broke the news earlier Thursday in a post on his X account.
Harris has been viewed by many political observers as a likely successor to Biden should he step down. Halperin said Harris is vetting potential running mates in advance of the party's convention Aug. 19-22 in Chicago.
Halperin told "FRONTLINE" that among possible running mates for Harris are Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. In his post on X, he mentioned Beshear and Shapiro are among four possible running mates.
Leading Democrats, including former President Barack Obama, have reportedly been pressing Biden to rethink his run against former President Donald Trump. Biden has been confronted with the argument that not only is he perhaps not equipped to win or serve another four years, but he also might drag down down-ticket candidates.
That, in turn, would jeopardize Democrat chances of retaking control of the House and raising the risk that they could lose the Senate, as well.
The pressure ramped up after Biden, in a debate last month with Trump, offered up a halting performance many observers branded abysmal.
Halperin told "FRONTLINE' other candidates to challenge Harris for the presidential nomination include California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. He said at the convention, "regular delegates would be allowed to vote under this agreement. That's being talked about amongst the president and high-level Democrat officials. The regular delegates would vote on the first ballot. If there is no winner in the first ballot, the so-called super delegates would be allowed to vote on the subsequent ballot."
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