Momentum Appears to Have Tilted in Biden's Favor

President Biden's aggressive push to remain the Democratic nominee appears to be working, according to multiple accounts of the mood in Congress:

• Momentum shift: The Washington Post notes that no more House Democrats came forward on Tuesday calling for Biden to step aside, "suggesting the ground may be subtly shifting toward acceptance that Biden will remain in the race."
• Big meeting: Democrats held a closed-door caucus meeting Tuesday to vent, and the Hill reports that "the debate was lopsided in favor of keeping the president on the ticket—a dynamic suggesting that Biden has, at least for now, prevented the slow seep of individual detractors from becoming a flood."

• No Jeffries push: Politico's take on the meeting is less definitive, declaring that it left Democrats with no clear path forward. But the story notes that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said little during the forum beyond a general call for unity at the start, which some interpreted as support for Biden. The president is seen as unlikely to withdraw unless leaders such as Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer urge him to do so.
• Nor from Schumer: "I'm with Joe," the New York senator said three times on Tuesday at his weekly press conference, by the count of Politico.
• It's over? The Axios headline asserts that "Biden rebels in Congress see their revolt crumbling," and the outlet reports on a smaller meeting of House Democrats as well as the larger caucus session. "Most of our caucus is still with him ... meaning he'll stay in," says an anonymous House Democrat. Another, who wants Biden out, adds: "As someone who wanted the reckoning and is really disappointed that it's over, trust me: it's over."
• Telling quotes: One person being widely quoted is longtime Rep. Jerry Nadler, who earlier in the week was reportedly among those privately calling for Biden to withdraw. "Whether I have concerns or not is beside the point," Nadler told reporters Tuesday. "He's going to be our nominee and we all have to support him." And Rep. James Clyburn, a prominent member of the Congressional Black Caucus, declared, "We're ridin' with Biden."

(More President Biden 2024 stories.)