Top Democrats threatened to oust Joe Biden unless he stepped down, set him up to fail in debate: Source

WASHINGTON, DC: High-level operatives within the Democratic Party allegedly threatened President Joe Biden that he would be forced out of his office if he did not voluntarily step down. 

The revelation came from a source close to the Biden family and was reported by the New York Post on Monday, July 22.

The insider revealed that a meticulously planned "palace coup" aimed at preventing the incumbent from seeking reelection had been in the works for weeks. Despite this, Biden resisted the pressure at every turn.

The Democratic Party grew hostile to Joe Biden as he remained adamant on continuing with his reelection bid

The insider claimed Joe Biden displayed considerable anger, paranoia, and frustration as the party's elite gathered around him, intensifying the pressure. A critical part of the "elaborate" strategy to remove the POTUS involved allowing him to participate in the June 27 debate against Donald Trump.

During the 90-minute televised debate, hosted at the CNN Studio in Atlanta, Biden appeared dazed and at one point froze, dramatically shifting the perception of his capability to run for office. "That debate was a set-up to convince Democrats that he couldn’t run for president," explained the source.

As calls for him to drop out of the race grew, Biden insisted on continuing his campaign. However, party leaders threatened to invoke the 25th Amendment to the US Constitution, which allows the vice president and cabinet members to declare a president unfit for office and force him to step down. 

On Sunday, Biden took the nation by surprise as he announced his decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race. Shortly after, he endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate for president. 

Having said that, the source indicated that Democratic delegates would be strongly encouraged to support Arizona Senator and former astronaut Mark Kelly at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August.

Internal discord after Joe Biden's unexpected announcement

Some top Democrats have yet to endorse Kamala Harris as Joe Biden's successor with less than a month until the DNC. Notably, Barack Obama has not endorsed her.

"We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead," stated the former president following Biden's unprecedented announcement.

After the debate, the 81-year-old incumbent's son, Hunter Biden, became more involved in his father’s day-to-day activities, attending all official and unofficial meetings.

The source noted, "Hunter felt he [Joe Biden] was being set up and he was very concerned about his father. These people, these officials were not on Joe’s side."

Biden's decision to withdraw from the race came as a shock to his staff, who were unaware of the plan until it was publicly revealed. The announcement letter posted on the president's X (formerly Twitter) account was particularly surprising, as it was typed on his private letterhead rather than official White House stationery and was signed electronically.

"Everyone was totally shocked," claimed the tipster, adding, "It was pretty telling that Jill Biden tweeted a heart emoji and nothing else."

The insider also revealed that many within the Democratic Party have known for at least two years about Biden's obvious decline. They spilled to the Post, "When I saw him a couple of years ago, it was frightening. He was just repeating slogans and had no idea who I was."

Joe Biden's Covid-19 symptoms have almost resolved completely

Despite these political upheavals, Joe Biden's health has shown improvement. According to his physician, Dr Kevin O'Connor, his Covid-19 symptoms have almost fully resolved. The president completed his 10th dose of Paxlovid on Monday and continued to perform his presidential duties.

"His symptoms have almost resolved completely. His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and temperature remain absolutely normal," wrote O'Connor, adding, "His oxygen saturation continues to be excellent on room air. His lungs remain clear."

Amid his recovery, Biden has stayed out of public view. However, he called into his former campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, during a visit by Vice President Kamala Harris, urging the staff to support her campaign with all their effort. "If I didn’t have Covid, I’d be standing there with you," said the president, his voice sounding slightly gravelly.

Biden was last seen in public on July 17 after arriving at a US air base in Dover, Delaware. He tested positive for Covid-19 while campaigning in Las Vegas earlier that day.

The White House announced that the POTUS plans to return to Washington, DC, on Tuesday afternoon, as reported by the Associated Press.