WASHINGTON: Democratic U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has privately signaled to donors that he is open to a Democratic presidential candidate other than President Joe Biden, Axios reported on Wednesday.
However, Schumer reiterated support for Biden in a statement late on Wednesday after the Axios report came out.
“As I have made clear repeatedly publicly and privately, I support President Biden and remain committed to ensuring Donald Trump is defeated in November,“ Schumer said in a statement shared by his office.
Biden has faced doubts about his reelection chances after a weak and faltering performance in a debate against Republican former President Donald Trump late last month.
Since then, some Democratic members of Congress and high- profile donors have publicly asked him to step aside as the party’s candidate for the Nov. 5 election.
Many from Biden’s own party have expressed worries that Biden has not done enough in the ensuing days to convince voters that the debate was an aberration, rather than a true reflection of his abilities.
Biden has said he will stay in the race.
