A senior White House official and numerous Democrats call on Biden not to seek re-election

A senior White House official very close to Joe Biden, told the The New York Times that the Democratic president should not seek re-election, citing the president's lack of energy and communication problems as he grows older.

This official, who in recent months has watched Biden decline, stated that this situation has noticeably affected the president's communication skills and overall energy.

He also told the newspaper on condition of anonymity that he no longer believed Biden had what it took to run an ambitious campaign against and actually defeat Donald Trump in November.

"The official, who insisted on anonymity, said Mr. Biden had steadily showed more signs of his age in recent months, including speaking more slowly, haltingly and quietly, as well as appearing more fatigued in private," reported The New York Times, which published a lengthy story citing inside Democratic Party sources who are unhappy with Biden and seeking to replace him.

According to the NYT, who published the story after gathering testimony from 50 Democrats, numerous lawmakers, officials and strategists in the president's party increasingly consider Biden's candidacy untenable.

"I have less and less confidence in this campaign’s ability to win this race," Rep. Scott Peters, D-California, said in an interview. "If we know we’re going to lose, we would be foolish not to look at another course."

Rep. Angie Craig, a Minnesota Democrat, also urged Biden on Saturday to step aside and renounce his candidacy: "I do not believe that the president can effectively campaign and win against Donald Trump."

According to the NYT, Democratic lawmakers are extremely worried, having received, in recent days, a barrage of questions from donors and constituents about the candidacy of Biden.  His campaign began to go downhill after a dismal performance in the presidential debate held in Atlanta, Georgia.

Biden right now is holding his own thanks to the unwavering support of his family, some Democratic heavyweights and various members of the Democratic National Committee, the political arm of the White House.  In the DNC many said they continued to support him but there is no clear consensus within the organization either.

Meanwhile, Biden continues to publicly cling to his candidacy. This Saturday morning, he sent out a clear message on X (formerly Twitter) recalling part of his speech at a swing-state rally: "In Wisconsin yesterday I made it clear: I plan to win this state and win this election."