As pressure mounts for Joe Biden to resign and Elton John emerges to support him… Democratic insiders reveal the president was set up to fail in a ‘soft coup’
President Joe Biden was framed in a “soft coup” to oust him, a Democratic insider claimed last night.
The 81-year-old US president is facing increasing calls to resign after his disastrous performance at Thursday’s debate, with sources telling The Mail on Sunday that many believe he was deliberately set up to fail.
A former Hillary Clinton aide said, “There’s never been a debate this early. Traditionally, the debates are held after the Republican and Democratic conventions, which are in July and August.
‘Usually the first debate takes place in early September, before the elections in November.
“Biden’s inner circle demanded this early debate. There is a growing belief that this was a ‘soft coup’ because they know he is not fit to govern and have known for some time.
US President Joe Biden pictured during a presidential debate on June 27
Sir Elton John pictured with Joe Biden at the grand opening of the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center on June 28
Former US President Donald Trump during the presidential debate on June 27
“They wanted to test him early against Trump, while there was still time to replace him if he failed to rise to the occasion. Which he did, of course, in spectacular fashion.”
Another source said: “The whole thing doesn’t pass the smell test. Publicly, the Democratic leadership is backing Biden because they can’t seem disloyal to the president, but privately there have been discussions for a long time that he’s too old to beat Trump.
“For weeks there were whispers that ‘Joe was going to the debate.'”
One of the favorites to replace Biden – Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, 52 – secretly sent an advance team to Washington DC “weeks ago” to prepare for her potential presidential run.
The team was “maneuvering” and meeting with Democratic officials. The source said: “Gretchen was the first to act. Now the floodgates have been opened.’
Although Biden insisted the debate, which was watched by 48 million people, was “a bad evening”, his leadership is in crisis as he faces pressure to resign.
Jill Biden has admitted that her husband knows he has performed poorly, telling reporters on Friday: ‘After last night’s debate he said, ‘You know, Jill, I don’t know what happened. I didn’t feel great.’
The 81-year-old US president is facing growing calls to step aside following his disastrous debate performance on Thursday, with sources telling The Mail on Sunday many believe he was deliberately set up.
Jill Biden has admitted her husband knows he has underperformed. He told reporters on Friday: “After the debate last night, he said, ‘You know, Jill, I don’t know what happened. I didn’t feel great.’
Former President Barack Obama must now ‘intervene’ to convince his good friend and former vice president to withdraw from the race.
The source said: “Obama is probably the only person Biden will listen to, apart from his wife and sister.
“I know of at least one major donor who has appealed directly to former President Obama to intervene and put an end to this mess so we can move forward.”
The liberal New York Times – which Biden said he reads “first thing every morning” – published a scathing editorial calling him “reckless.”
It read: ‘Mr. Biden is not the man he was four years ago. The greatest public service Mr. Biden can perform now is to announce that he will no longer run for office.’
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who has been a friend of the president for four decades, is also “open” to replacing him, according to multiple reports in the US.
The Clinton aide said: “The coming days will be critical as new poll numbers come in and the party deals with the fallout. Many deals are made behind the scenes.
“Nobody’s going to come forward until Joe decides to step aside. He was a stubborn young man and he’s a stubborn old man.”
Jen O’Malley Dillon, Biden’s campaign chairman, scheduled a hasty meeting with staff and donors on Friday.
“She was trying to calm people down,” the source said. “She said this was a bad night. The mood was not good. There is no solution to this.’
This comes as Biden faces a “financial catastrophe” as major donors freeze their funds and high-profile supporters threaten to abandon his campaign.
Hollywood fans like George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Steven Spielberg – who have already raised millions – are said to have “serious doubts” about his future.
Former President Barack Obama has now been called on to ‘stage an intervention’ to convince his close friend and former Vice President to withdraw from the race
Hollywood stalwarts such as George Clooney (left), Julia Roberts (second from right) and Steven Spielberg – who have already raised millions – are said to have ‘serious doubts’ about his future.
One Hollywood donor said: “Whether Biden stays or goes comes down to one thing; cold, hard money. Fundraisers are canceled because there is no confidence in Biden.
‘He is financially behind Donald Trump for the first time and there is a sense of panic that big money and star power are about to abandon him.
“Celebrities are fickle and no one wants to be associated with a loser.”
However, Elton John appeared to support Biden on Friday as the pair unveiled the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center in New York, a museum celebrating the birth of the LGBTQ+ movement in America.
The singer praised the US president for his support of the museum, which stands on the site of the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar that was the subject of protests in 1969 after a police raid.
Eight weeks ago, Biden had a $100 million lead over his political rival. Then, Trump was convicted of bribing porn star Stormy Daniels and saw $53 million pour in within 24 hours. The presumptive Republican nominee now has $240 million in his war chest, compared to Biden’s $212 million.
“It’s a disaster for Biden,” the former aide added. “His campaign is making a big deal out of the fact that $14 million has come in from small donors since the debate. That’s chicken feed.”
Vice President Kamala Harris, whose own poll numbers are low, flew into LA last night to host a fundraiser with Frozen star Idina Menzel. Sex And The City star Sarah Jessica Parker and her husband Matthew Broderick are expected to attend, along with Gwyneth Paltrow and Michael J Fox. A source said: ‘No one knows who’s going to show up. There are still tickets available.’
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden are pictured after the CNN presidential debate on June 27
Laurene Powell Jobs, widow of Apple founder Steve Jobs, and billionaire Hollywood producer Haim Saban, have reportedly halted donations pending whether Biden will resign.
Democratic Party leaders and potential Biden replacements will hold a series of in-person and Zoom meetings in the coming days as America prepares to celebrate Independence Day on Thursday.
“Washington is closed, making it easier for people to have private conversations,” a campaign insider said. “If Joe goes, that will be decided next week. He has a week to prove himself.
“If he can be convinced to step aside, that announcement will come in two and a half to three weeks. That’s the timeline.”
New polls also show that voters have lost confidence in the president.
A Morning Consult poll found that 60 percent believe he “definitely” or “probably” should be replaced, while an Ipsos poll found that 73 percent of those who watched the debate thought his performance was “poor or terrible’.
