'His Ambition Comes First': Chuck Todd Sounds Off On Joe Biden's Insistence To Stay In The Race

On the most recent episode of "The Chuck ToddCast," NBC News host Chuck Todd questioned the lasting impact of Biden's reluctance to leave the presidential race on his legacy as more Democrats call for the president to step aside. Like many mainstream media personalities, Todd has demanded that Biden withdraw from the race following his disastrous debate performance last month.

"It has made me want to rethink a lot of the Biden biography," Todd said. "I still can't believe he ran for president in the first place, given that his family was in crisis in 2018. You look at what has happened, and I can't believe he has put his family through this. And now, looking at his behavior now, in clinging to this, I think the entire narrative on Joe Biden is gonna change, in that everything's always been about his ambition, and his ambition comes first."

Todd wasn't the only high-profile figure within the left-wing establishment to demand Biden relinquish his spot at the top of the ticket. Hollywood actor George Clooney, a close friend of President Barack Obama and a longtime Democrat fundraiser, published an op-ed in the New York Times on Wednesday, adding his voice to the growing chorus of influential figures calling on the president to step aside. 

"I love Joe Biden. As a senator. As a vice president and as president. I consider him a friend, and I believe in him. Believe in his character. Believe in his morals. In the last four years, he's won many of the battles he's faced," Clooney explained. "But the one battle he cannot win is the fight against time. None of us can. It's devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fundraiser was not the Joe' big F-ing deal' Biden of 2010. He wasn't even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate." During the Los Angeles fundraiser that Clooney hosted last month, President Biden was seen freezing up while on stage and was forced to be escorted away by President Obama, as previously reported by the DC Enquirer.

The Hollywood director then explained that Democrats often hold their breath when Biden boards Air Force One or takes an unscripted question from the press as they attempt to ignore the signs of an aging president unable to complete the duties of the presidency. Given Biden's age's impact on his ability to perform the job and the devastating impact that the debate had on his reputation, Clooney called on the president to step aside.

"This is about age. Nothing more. But also nothing that can be reversed. We are not going to win in November with this president," he wrote. "On top of that, we won't win the House, and we're going to lose the Senate. This isn't only my opinion; this is the opinion of every senator and congress member and governor that I've spoken with in private. Every single one, irrespective of what he or she is saying publicly."

With elected Democrats, mainstream media outlets, and Hollywood elites all calling for Biden to step aside, the pressure on him to leave the race is only going to increase. Despite his best efforts earlier this week to secure his position as the party's nominee and silence criticism, that hasn't stopped Democrats from speaking out.

WATCH:

MSNBC’s Chuck Todd says Biden’s refusal to step aside has made him “rethink a lot of the Biden biography. I still can’t believe he ran for president in the first place, given that his family was in crisis in 2018…You look at what has happened, I can’t believe he has put his… pic.twitter.com/gi7dgiF6Be

— Peter J. Hasson (@peterjhasson) July 10, 2024

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