Senate Democrat leader Chuck Schumer told President Joe Biden in a meeting on Saturday it would be better for the country and the Democratic Party if he ended his reelection campaign, ABC News reported on Wednesday.
Another news outlet, Politico, said Schumer met Biden at his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Although Politico said it could not independently confirm ABC's account of their their conversation, it described a grim prediction from Schumer that Democrats were on track to lose big in November.
That, according to a person "who was granted anonymity to speak freely about the private conversation."
According to Politico, the person said "the meeting discussed recent polling, the Democratic Party, and where it's headed," all of which was "predicated on the recent troubles facing the president."
A Schumer spokesperson, in a statement Wednesday night, did not deny ABC's report directly, but called it "idle speculation," saying only that Schumer had conveyed the views of his caucus to the president.
Earlier on Wednesday, a leading Democrat and close ally of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Adam Schiff, became the 20th congressional Democrat to publicly call for Biden to drop out of the race.
And Politico, quoting two Democrat caucus members, said that at a private meeting with Biden last week, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries conveyed a similar concern that the majority of the caucus worried about Biden's ability to win reelection in November.
Democrats' concern about the 81-year-old incumbent's ability to beat Republican challenger Donald Trump — or to serve another four years in office — surged after Biden's shaky and halting June 27 debate performance.
That performance, and a slew of recent gaffes and memory lapses, have some speculating that the president, America's oldest, may not have the stamina or mental acuity to continue in the election or serve out a term even if he wins.
Multiple Democrats have been mentioned in speculation about potential campaign replacements, including Vice President Kamala Harris and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The latter lost to Trump in 2016.
Biden has maintained he is best positioned to beat Trump, having done so before, in 2020.
In a posting on the social media website X, CBS News election corresupondent Robert Costa referenced a quote from White House spokesman Andrew Bates. Bates' comment references Biden's response to Schumer and House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, reaffirming his plan to continue his campaign.
Said Bates' statement: "The President told both leaders he is the nominee of the party, hr plans to win, and looks forward to working with both of them to pass his 100 days agenda to help working families."
Newsmax contributed to this report.