Jones’s comments underscore the internal conflict currently roiling the Democratic Party, which has fragmented into multiple factions. The party has been divided since Biden displayed signs of severe cognitive decline during a recent debate with former President Donald Trump. The divide now pits Biden's opponents, who demand he step aside, against his supporters, who still believe he is the best candidate to face Trump in the upcoming election. During a segment on CNN’s “State of the Union” Jones highlighted the party’s fracture post-debate, noting that things have taken “a negative direction” since then. “He’s still in the race and he’s doing what he’s supposed to do. I’m glad to see him out there. I’m glad he’s doing interviews. I’m glad he’s doing all those things. The challenge is that the numbers are not encouraging, and the party is no longer united,” explained Jones, who previously served as an adviser to former President Barack Obama. “You already have four House Democrats who are saying step down, you’re going to have more,” he reluctantly added. Conservatives and Republicans have voiced concerns about Biden’s cognitive decline since 2020. Numerous video clips showcasing his slow walking, stumbles, falls, and mental lapses have been widely featured in right-leaning media and conservative social media. Following the June 27 debate, Democratic commentators, pundits, and progressive members of the party either finally acknowledged or were forced to recognize publicly what right-wing voices had claimed for years. Calls to replace Biden as the Democratic presidential candidate began with pundits and analysts. Initially, Democratic politicians reserved public criticism, but private discontent was evident. Now, 12 days since the debate, the following Democratic lawmakers are openly urging Biden to step aside:CNN political commentator Van Jones stated on July 7 that Democrats are advancing plans to install Vice President Kamala Harris at the top of the presidential ticket despite public assurances from President Joe Biden and his supporters.
“This week, unfortunately you’re going to have a split screen of the president having NATO allies here and people in his own party looking at this math, as [ex-Obama strategist] David Axelrod said, ‘this time four years ago, Biden was up ten, he’s down six,’” Jones continued. “We needed that debate to turn things around. And it did turn things around, in a negative direction.” Jones noted that Biden enjoys deep loyalty among his allies, but this admiration is countered by widespread concern that he could lose to Trump in November. “And I think people are hoping that he will recognize we’re running Kamala Harris for president right now. That’s who we’re running,” Jones said, adding:
Nobody believes Joe Biden can be president in four years. And so, we’re in the worst possible world because she can’t defend herself, she has to defend him. We can’t defend her, we have to defend him. We’re basically running Kamala Harris anyway, let’s run Kamala Harris and let her get out there and defend herself — except that’s where we are. The reality is we are running Kamala Harris for president one way or the other. I’d rather run for president in the strongest way rather than the weakest way.
