Former president Barack Obama has privately expressed concerns to Democrats about , and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi privately warned Biden that Democrats could lose the ability to seize control of the House if he didn害羞草研究所檛 step away from the 2024 race, according to several people familiar with the sensitive internal matters.

Pelosi also showed Biden polling that she argued shows he likely can害羞草研究所檛 defeat , according to two of the people, who insisted on anonymity to discuss such matters.

Obama has not spoken directly to Biden, two other people said. He has conveyed to allies that Biden needs to consider the viability of his campaign but has also made clear that the decision is one Biden needs to make.

Time racing, Democrats at the highest levels are making a critical push for to reconsider , as unease grows at the White House and within the campaign at a fraught moment for the president and his party.

Biden has insisted he害羞草研究所檚 not backing down, adamant he害羞草研究所檚 the candidate who beat before and will do it again. Pressed about reports that Biden might be softening to the idea of leaving the race, his deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks said Thursday: 害羞草研究所淗e is not wavering on anything.害羞草研究所�

In recent days the president has become more committed to staying in the race, according to another person familiar with the matter.

But influential Democrats from the highest levels of the party apparatus, including congressional leadership headed by Senate Majority Leader and House Democratic Leader , are sending signals of concern. Some Democrats hope Biden will assess the trajectory of the race and his legacy over the coming days.

Using mountains of data showing Biden害羞草研究所檚 standing could wipe out the ranks of Democrats in Congress, frank conversations in public and private and now the president害羞草研究所檚 own time off the campaign trail after , many Democrats see an opportunity to encourage a reassessment.

If Democrats are seriously preparing the extraordinary step of replacing Biden and shifting Vice President Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket, this weekend will be critical to changing the president害羞草研究所檚 mind, other people familiar with the private conversations said.

One said it害羞草研究所檚 now or never ahead of a planned virtual roll call to nominate the party害羞草研究所檚 choice in early August, ahead of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Over the past week, Schumer and Jeffries, both of New York, have spoken privately to the president, candidly laying out the views of Democrats on Capitol Hill, including Democrats害羞草研究所� concerns.

Separately, the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington, spoke with the president last week armed with fresh data. The campaign chief specifically aired the concerns of front-line Democrats seeking election to the House.

And on Wednesday, California Rep. , a close ally of , called for Biden to drop his reelection bid, saying he believes it害羞草研究所檚 time to 害羞草研究所減ass the torch.害羞草研究所�

Biden, in a radio interview taped just before he tested positive for COVID-19, dismissed the idea it was too late for him to recover politically, telling Univision害羞草研究所檚 Luis Sandoval it害羞草研究所檚 still early and many people don害羞草研究所檛 focus on the November election until September.

害羞草研究所淎ll the talk about who害羞草研究所檚 leading and where and how, is kind of, you know 害羞草研究所� everything so far between Trump and me has been basically even,害羞草研究所� he said in an excerpt of the interview released Thursday.

Some national polls do show a close race, though others suggest Trump with a lead. And some state polls have contained warning signs for Biden, too, including a recent New York Times/Siena poll that suggested a competitive race in Virginia, a state in their 2020 matchup.

While the tensions over Biden害羞草研究所檚 ability to carry on a winning campaign subsided some, particularly after and as the Republican National Convention is underway in Milwaukee, Democrats know they have limited time to resolve the party turmoil after the president害羞草研究所檚 faltering debate performance last month.

To be sure, many Democrats want Biden to stay in the race. And the Democratic National Committee is pushing ahead with plans for in the first week of August, ahead of , which begins Aug. 19.

Late Wednesday, ABC News reported new details about Biden害羞草研究所檚 private meeting over the weekend with Schumer at the president害羞草研究所檚 beach home in Delaware. It said Schumer told the president it would be 害羞草研究所渂etter for the Democratic Party and better for the country if he were to bow out.害羞草研究所� A Schumer spokesperson called the report 害羞草研究所渋dle speculation.害羞草研究所�

White House spokesman Andrew Bates said Biden told Schumer, as well as Jeffries, that 害羞草研究所渉e is the nominee of the party, he plans to win, and looks forward to working with both of them to pass his 100 days agenda to help working families.害羞草研究所�

But among Democrats nationwide, nearly two-thirds say Biden should step aside and let his party nominate a different candidate, according to . That sharply undercuts Biden害羞草研究所檚 post-debate claim that 害羞草研究所渁verage Democrats害羞草研究所� are still with him even if some 害羞草研究所渂ig names害羞草研究所� are turning on him.

Biden tested positive for COVID-19 while traveling Wednesday in Las Vegas and is experiencing 害羞草研究所渕ild symptoms害羞草研究所� including 害羞草研究所済eneral malaise害羞草研究所� from the infection, the White House said. The president, who had spent the past several days campaigning, had already been scheduled to return to his Delaware beach home even before the diagnosis.

Schiff害羞草研究所檚 announcement brings to nearly 20 the number of Democratic members of Congress calling on Biden to in the wake of against Trump last month.

Schiff said that by bowing out, Biden would 害羞草研究所渟ecure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election.害羞草研究所�

Schiff is a prominent Democrat on his own, and his statement will also be watched because of his proximity to .

It was Pelosi who post-debate, when she said recently that 害羞草研究所渋t害羞草研究所檚 up to the president害羞草研究所� to decide what to do 害羞草研究所� even though Biden had already fully stated he had no intention of stepping aside. The former House speaker publicly supports the president but has fielded calls from Democrats since debate night questioning what害羞草研究所檚 next.

In response to Schiff害羞草研究所檚 comments, the Biden campaign pointed to what it called 害羞草研究所渆xtensive support害羞草研究所� for him and his reelection bid from members of Congress in key swing states, as well as from the Congressional Black and Hispanic caucuses. The campaign noted that Biden had been joined on his trip to Nevada this week by nearly a dozen Congressional Black Caucus members.