In a shocking turn of events, President Biden has announced his decision to withdraw from the presidential race, aiming to articulate his rationale and future plans in an address from the Oval Office on Wednesday night. Despite testing negative for Covid, and generally seeming to have recovered, Biden has descended upon the nation’s capital after a six-day sojourn at his vacation residence in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, his first visit since his abrupt call to drop out. During his period of recovery and political self-reflection, it becomes clear that Biden’s position seems more like a dud than a dynamo.
In a very Biden-like fashion, he announced on social media that his address would air at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, promising to share his future plans and how he intends to ‘finish the job for the American people’. Yet, it’s worth questioning – what job was he really doing? According to a phone call he made to his former campaign center on Monday, he purportedly wants to use the rest of his term to campaign fervently for Vice President Kamala Harris while striving to promote domestic and foreign objectives.
‘I’m not going anywhere,’ he declared, repeating the sentence thrice within four short minutes. This statement, while meant to convey dedication and resolve, instead underscores an apparent ignorance and disconnect from reality. The treatment with Paxlovid might have helped him recover physically from Covid, but has seemingly done little to address the deeper issue – his wavering political stance and unsuccessful tenure.
Following his ostensible recovery, Biden’s travel schedule for the week was abruptly canceled, irrespective of his claim that he planned to campaign for Vice President Harris. This flip-flopping, and the decision to retreat to the White House in such times, has yet again brought to the forefront his lack of consistency and tendency to make empty promises.
Amidst all this, Biden is scheduled to have a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Thursday. This even as the political stage is already spinning at a breakneck pace, making his previous two prime-time Oval Office addresses in his first three and a half presidential years seem rather inadequate. Now, Biden seems bent on giving two more in the span of just 10 days.
On July 14, he addressed the nation to condemn an assassination attempt against former President Donald J. Trump, which transpired the previous day. This act, as righteous as may seem, could have masked an opportunity to gain a political advantage amidst the waves of shock and empathy being felt nationwide.
The White House is also planning to reschedule an oft-postponed trip to Austin, Texas. Biden is expected to participate in a ceremony at the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum to mark the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act. While the event might ordinarily carry symbolic importance, in the current context, it only promises to spotlight Biden’s increasingly deteriorating image and waning popularity.
The rest of Biden’s presidential term promises to be something of an uphill battle, particularly concocting his domestic objectives. Given the Republican-majority House, the probability of passing significant legislation during a campaign stretch is predictably bleak. Biden’s optimistic attitude towards this situation seems less like a credible assurance and more like a desperate attempt to mask his impending failure.
Touting his possible success in brokering a cease-fire in Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza as imminent, Biden stated on Monday, ‘I think we’re on the verge of being able to do that.’ Yet, such claims might be far removed from the realities on the ground, demonstrating once again Biden’s propensity to project a positive image despite evidence to the contrary. Only time will tell if Biden’s optimism translates into tangible outcomes or simply adds to the list of his many unfulfilled goals.