By Trevor Hunnicutt
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to end his re-election campaign on Sunday followed a series of strategic missteps by his campaign team and White House staff that heightened concerns that the 81-year-old president would be unable to win the November election and govern the country for another four years.
Biden’s vacillating performance during the June 27 presidential debate against Republican nominee Donald Trump left even some of his closest allies wondering whether he could handle a full-scale campaign. It added fuel to a simmering movement within the Democratic Party that was questioning the wisdom of his second term.
Within days, Biden went from party figurehead to nuisance, becoming the first sitting president to withdraw from a possible reelection bid since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968.
These were some of the key moments that led to Biden's downfall.
THE DEBATE COUP: April to June
Biden himself initiated the debate, after telling radio host Howard Stern in April that he would debate Trump, despite concerns from some of his Democratic allies that a debate would hurt his chances or even cast him in a negative light.
Some Biden aides thought they had scored a coup by agreeing to a June debate. They worked with CNN to shape the rules in their favor and agreed to two debates on May 15, including the first on June 27.
Some aides thought an earlier debate would serve Biden well. It would convince voters there was no other anti-Trump option in the race and also soften the blow of a lackluster performance by the president.
The format — no audience to recite Trump's jokes, no third-party candidates, moderators they could trust and a mute button on the microphones — would, they said, benefit Biden's style.
JET LAG – JUNE 4 TO 27
Biden flew twice to Europe and the West Coast over a 14-day period, after which he rested for a few days at his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
According to several people who followed Biden during this period, he was tired and listless at the end of the trip.
He and his staff went to Camp David on June 21 for focused prep sessions, where they grilled Biden on specifics, then held mock debates for nearly seven days.
A BAD NIGHT – JUNE 27
At CNN’s Atlanta studios, Biden stumbled over his words and lost the thread of his thoughts. His delivery, appearance and voice immediately drew the attention of reporters, who pressed his aides for clarification.
Officials told reporters as the debate was underway that Biden was sick with a cold, they said.
Biden's hoarseness reportedly improved as the debate progressed, but his rambling answers surprised voters, donors and Democratic officials. One Democratic strategist called it “a disaster.”
Trump, 78, repeated a series of tired, blatant lies during the 90-minute debate, including claims that he actually won the 2020 election. Biden failed to refute them, leaving sentences and thoughts unfinished.
Trump slammed Biden for being incoherent: “I really don't know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don't think he knows what he said.”
FALLOUT – JUNE 27 TO JULY 2
“I know I’m not a young man, to put it plainly,” Biden said the day after the debate, acknowledging his poor performance. “I almost fell asleep on stage,” he said on July 2.
Calls for Biden to resign would begin in the hours after the debate. Calls from Biden aides to anxious Democrats facing reelection campaigns and seeing their political futures flash before their eyes would not begin until days later.
Some lawmakers began to leave the ranks, starting with U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett on July 2, and then gradually gathered steam.
Angry donors told Biden's aides they needed a turnaround in the candidate's performance. Senior Democrats and Biden allies also began hinting at changes to the ticket.
House Democrat Jim Clyburn, a kingmaker of sorts within the Democratic Party who played a key role in Biden’s 2020 victory, said on July 2 that he would support Vice President Kamala Harris if Biden were to leave office. He also floated the idea of a “mini-primary” if Biden were to leave office.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a staunch Biden ally, said it was legitimate to ask whether Biden's performance in Atlanta was an “episode” or a condition. She also hinted that Biden should examine his choice to enter the race.
THE DAM BREAKS – JULY 5-8
Biden would fail to silence the chorus of opponents.
In his first major post-debate interview on July 5, Biden told ABC News host George Stephanopoulos that only the “Lord Almighty” could keep him out of the race.
What's even more concerning to some Democrats is that Biden said he could accept staying in the race and losing to Trump, “as long as I do everything I can and do the best I can.”
Thirty-six Democratic U.S. lawmakers and one independent who votes with the Democrats would eventually call on Biden to step down in the 24 days following the debate.
NATO, POLLS – JULY 9-12Biden tried to go further, giving interviews, holding a press conference and delivering stern speeches on the campaign trail and at NATO's summit of U.S. allies.
But the events sometimes caused more concern than they allayed.
During the NATO summit in the second week of July, Biden swapped the names of his Vice President Harris and his Republican rival Trump with those of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose countries are at war with each other.
Polls showed Biden trailing other Democrats in many of the key states and districts Democrats need to win in November. Still, polls across the country still showed a close race.
Biden remained unmoved, still believing he was the best candidate to take on Trump. He believed he could bounce back from this setback, as he had done so many times before. A view that was confirmed by a circle of close associates.
TRUMP RALLY SHOOTING – JULY 13
Trump was shot while giving a speech in Pennsylvania. The bullet grazed his ear, bloodied his face, and photos of the former president raising his fist in protest were widely displayed.
Republicans talked about divine providence, uniting around their candidate. Democrats worried that their own chances were cursed, seeing only a narrower path to victory in November.
Days later, Biden contracted COVID while campaigning in Nevada. He recovered at his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and was given time, alone and isolated, to decide whether and how to end his campaign.
(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Heather Timmons, Alistair Bell and Leslie Adler)
