By Jarrett Renshaw and Stephanie Kelly
-Several fundraisers planned for U.S. President Joe Biden's reelection campaign are on hold, multiple Democratic sources involved in the events told Reuters, even as the Democratic Party plans to accelerate his nomination and he vowed to continue in the 2024 race.
Biden had planned to raise money in Austin, Denver and California next week, but these plans have been shelved, at least for now, the sources said. The president tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday but said Friday he would return to the campaign trail next week.
A number of big dollar donors are closing their checkbooks amid questions about whether Biden should remain at the top of ticket, using their financial clout to tell Biden to drop out of the race.
"There are a lot of donors who have said they won't put another dime in this race. The question is if Biden stays in the race, will they come back?" said one major East Coast campaign financier.
Biden's campaign, though, said Friday that his plans to raise money were unchanged. "Reuters' sourcing is incorrect, and we look forward to a robust fundraising schedule," campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz said.
More than one in 10 congressional Democrats have now publicly called on the incumbent to drop out following a disastrous June debate against Republican Donald Trump that raised questions about Biden's ability to win or to carry out his duties for another four years
The official party process to nominate Biden is advancing.
The Democratic National Convention Rules Committee met on Friday to outline a virtual voting process to bring forward the official nomination of the 81-year-old to before the party's in-person convention, starting Aug. 19 in Chicago. Officials argued an early nomination is needed to more easily comply with state election laws or risk being left off the November ballot.
“They're not risks that we as a party can or should take,” Dana Remus, Biden's former White House counsel, told the committee.
For a party already divided over Biden, with fresh calls from Democrats in Congress to leave Friday, the early virtual vote is another point of controversy.
Critics argue it is a means of pushing Biden through early as the party's official nominee. Others, including DNC Chair Jaime Harrison, say it is necessary to deal with an Ohio law that could have kept Biden's name off ballots in the state if he wasn't nominated by Aug. 7, prior to the convention in Chicago.
A member of the rules committee asked whether it was possible that another candidate could challenge Biden in a virtual vote.
Leah Daughtry, the committee's co-chair said any challenger would need the "verified support of hundreds of delegates."
"Such a challenge has never happened over the past half century of competitive primaries," Daughtry said.
It is unclear how the nominating process would unfold if Biden were to abandon his reelection bid amid questions about his mental sharpness. The committee is expected to meet again next week to finalize the plan.
Biden has been isolating since he tested positive for COVID this week and was believed to be taking calls to step aside seriously. Several Democratic officials think an exit is a matter of time, .
“He’s running until he’s not. The writing is on the wall,” said a Democratic donor on Friday.
Biden's reflection is an about-face, as he has insisted for weeks that he would stay in the race despite calls from heavyweights in his party to cede his position at the top of the Democratic ticket after the debate.
Trump, 78, accepted the Republican Party's nomination this week in Milwaukee, speaking before a rapt audience on Thursday.
Some Democrats have now begun openly advertising against Biden. Pass the Torch, a group that wants Biden to step down, has launched a TV ad to air in Washington and Rehoboth, Delaware, where Biden frequently vacations, and features Democratic voters from Pennsylvania urging Biden to "pass the torch."
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
