BURSTFormer Obama administration official Van Jones said Wednesday that Democrats, behind closed doors, are discussing “how” to replace President Biden at the top of the ticket, “not whether.”
The CNN commentator said the Democrats who defend Biden on TV have “completely different” conversations in private, amid growing concern in the party about Biden’s standing as the presumptive nominee.
“I understand people want to, you know, defend him and protect him and give him the space and the dignity to make his own choice,” Jones told CNN’s Jim Sciutto Wednesday, referring to Biden.
“But there is a big conversation happening right now about how this happens – not whether,” he added.
Jones painted a chaotic picture of the Democratic party as it tries to figure out a path forward in private discussions.
“Behind the scenes, it's full-scale panic,” Jones said. “People are passing around legal memos, PDFs are flying back and forth on WhatsApp, trying to figure out, what are the options? How can you replace Biden? How do you get him to do it in a way where he feels respected, as he should be respected?”
Jones suggested Democrats were proceeding under the assumption that Vice President Kamala Harris would be next in line for the top spot. Among the questions Democrats are trying to answer, Jones said, is, “Who should Kamala Harris's vice president be?”
Jones praised Biden as “a great candidate” but said Democrats must be responsible in determining what the best path forward is.
“We have someone who loves this country. We have someone who has given his all – I mean, his all, to the last drop – for this country, but he may not be able to get across the finish line,” Jones said. “And a mature party has to take that into account. And that is what's happening.”
Two House Democrats have already called for Biden to step aside, while several others have said they have serious concerns about Biden’s ability to beat former President Trump. The White House and Biden’s campaign team have maintained that Biden is up to the job of serving another four years as president and brushed off the shaky debate performance as a bad night.