Biden begins to accept he may have to drop out of race, New York Times reports

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden has begun to accept the idea that he may not be able to win the November 5 election and may have to drop out of the race, the New York Times reported on Thursday, citing several people close to the president.

However, one of the persons close to the president warned that the president had not yet made up his mind to leave the race after three weeks of insisting that almost nothing would drive him out.

Another said that “reality is setting in” and that it would not be a surprise if Biden made an announcement soon endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement.

According to the publication, this account is based on interviews with four people close to the president, all of whom described the situation as extremely delicate and spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid offending the president.

After being tested positive for Covid-19, Biden remained in isolation at his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach. 

Biden's candidacy is on a knife-edge with a growing list of senior Democrats calling on him to step aside as concerns about his age and health spark fears that he is on course to lose badly to Donald Trump in November.

While rival Trump prepares for his star turn at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee later Thursday, Biden finds himself in both personal and political isolation.

His personal doctor, Kevin O'Connor, said Thursday that Biden was still experiencing mild Covid symptoms and was taking the drug Paxlovid, but that his vital signs remain normal.

"He will continue to conduct the business of the American people," O'Connor said in a letter released by the White House.

His Covid diagnosis came at the worst possible time for his campaign, forcing him to cut short a trip to Las Vegas and isolate at his holiday home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

Biden told reporters on Wednesday that he was "doing well" but was later seen looking frail as he slowly descended the steps of Air Force One.

Calls for Biden to step aside have grown since a disastrous debate performance against Republican Trump three weeks ago in which he appeared tired and confused.

A drumbeat of US media reports has suggested that the clock is ticking on his bid to prevent Trump making a sensational White House comeback.

The top Democrats in Congress, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both reportedly met with Biden in recent days to warn that his candidacy threatens his party's prospects in November's election.