Here’s what’s being said inside the walls of Congress.
Representative Jared Moskowitz swiftly dismissed any notion of Democrats reconsidering President Biden’s candidacy amid a flurry of polling data indicating he’s trailing behind Donald Trump.
When data analyst Nate Silver recently suggested that Democrats should reassess their presumptive nominee, Moskowitz, a 43-year-old Democrat from Florida, firmly stood by Biden, who is 81.
Moskowitz addressed Silver’s suggestion on “Fox News Sunday,” stating, “No, it’s not a discussion worth having. Nate, thanks for chiming in. But this idea is absurd. We’ve moved beyond that point.”
Silver sparked controversy in February by suggesting that there might be better-suited Democrats to challenge Trump. Last Wednesday, he even proposed that Biden should contemplate stepping aside if he continues to struggle.
“If Biden is still facing difficulties in August, he needs to think about stepping aside. It’s not an ideal situation for Democrats, but thorough consideration of the matter is necessary,” Silver wrote.
“To clarify, replacing Biden at this late stage is a risky proposition that would likely fail. The question is whether by August, it could become the least unfavorable option for Democrats. Probably not,” he added later.
Moskowitz, known for his clashes with elements of the progressive base over the Israel-Hamas conflict, has been a staunch supporter of Biden, particularly on the House Oversight Committee, where Republicans have targeted the president’s son, Hunter.
“President Biden will be the nominee. We’ll hold our convention, and he will win in November,” Moskowitz asserted.
“This election boils down to a choice between two individuals,” he emphasized. “In my view, it’s about whether you want Trump back or not. That’s the crux of the matter.”
The Florida Democrat listed issues such as women’s reproductive rights and access to contraception as reasons why voters should support Biden.
He acknowledged Democratic shortcomings on immigration but argued that Republicans have also hindered progress on this front.
“On immigration, frankly, both parties share blame,” he admitted. “Democrats were slow to act. When we finally reached a bipartisan agreement with a conservative bill in the Senate, Republicans backed away because Trump wanted to leverage it for the election.”
Last Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer pushed for a vote on a standalone border bill, originally part of a failed deal announced in February to secure GOP support for aid to Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific.
However, the standalone bill was rejected in the Senate.
Schumer pressed for the vote amidst numerous polls indicating Biden’s unpopularity regarding border issues.
According to the latest RealClearPolitics aggregate of polls, Trump leads Biden nationally by 1.1 percentage points and is also ahead in most battleground states.
Despite these grim polling numbers, Moskowitz expressed confidence that Biden would emerge victorious on November 5th, though he stressed that the race would be tight.
“The election is extremely close. We’re essentially at halftime now,” he observed. “It all comes down to a few key states.”
