Democrats at the highest levels are making a critical push for US president Joe Biden to rethink his election bid.
Former US president Barack Obama has expressed concerns to allies with former speaker Nancy Pelosi privately telling Mr Biden the party could lose the ability to seize control of the House if he does not step away from the 2024 race.
Isolated as he battles a Covid-19 infection at home in Delaware, the president is relying on a few long-time aides as he weighs whether to bow to the mounting pressure to drop out.
The Biden For President campaign has called an all-staff meeting for Friday as Republican rival Donald Trump wraps up a heady Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
The Democrats, in a race against time, are considering the possibility of Mr Biden stepping aside for a new presidential nominee before their convention next month in Chicago.
Mr Biden’s closest friend in Congress and his campaign co-chairman senator Chris Coons of Delaware said: “President Biden deserves the respect to have important family conversations with members of the caucus and colleagues in the House and Senate and Democratic leadership and not be battling leaks and press statements.”
On Thursday, Montana senator Jon Tester became the second Democrat in the chamber to call on him to step aside, saying in a statement: “I believe President Biden should not seek reelection to another term.”
Several members of Mr Biden’s Cabinet have also shared doubts about his chances for re-election and the insularity of his team.
Campaign officials said Mr Biden was even more committed to staying in the race even as the calls for him to go mounted. But there was also time to reconsider.
He has been told the campaign is having trouble raising money and some Democrats see an opportunity as he is away from the campaign for a few days to encourage his exit.
Mr Biden, 81, tested positive for the coronavirus while travelling in Las Vegas and is experiencing “mild symptoms” including “general malaise” from the infection, the White House said.
In a radio interview taped just before he tested positive, the president dismissed the idea it was too late for him to recover politically, telling Univision’s Luis Sandoval that many people do not focus on the November election until September.
“All the talk about who’s leading and where and how, is kind of, you know — everything so far between Trump and me has been basically even,” he said in an excerpt of the interview released on Thursday.
But in Congress, Democratic lawmakers have begun having private conversations about lining up behind vice president Kamala Harris as an alternative.
“It’s clear the issue won’t go away,” said Vermont senator Peter Welch, the other Senate Democrat who has publicly said Mr Biden should exit the race.
Senator Welch said the current state of party angst was “not sustainable” as lawmakers panic and donors revolt.
Former president Obama has conveyed to allies that Mr Biden needs to consider the viability of his campaign but has also made clear that the decision is one the president needs to make.
The former president has taken calls in recent days from members of congressional leadership, Democratic governors and key donors to discuss their concerns about his former vice president.
Mrs Pelosi also presented polling to Mr Biden that she argued shows he likely cannot defeat Republican Trump — although the former speaker countered on Thursday in a sharp statement that the “feeding frenzy” from anonymous sources “misrepresents any conversations” she may have had with the president.
Pressed about reports that Mr Biden might be softening to the idea of leaving the race, his deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks said on Thursday: “He is not wavering on anything.”
