Last summer, after President Joe Biden’s rough debate performance, former President Barack Obama had a tough message for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Obama, who had a “fragile relationship” with Biden, admitted he wasn’t the best person to tell the president it might be time to step down. So, Schumer was tasked with the delicate job of breaking the news.
According to a detailed investigation by The New York Times, Schumer and Biden had an emotional conversation at Biden’s Delaware home, where Schumer warned that Biden could go down in history as one of the “darkest figures” if he stayed in the race and lost to Donald Trump. The chat, which took place on a peaceful screened-in porch overlooking a pond, was more emotional than many realized and played a key role in Biden’s eventual decision to bow out.
This was just weeks after the disastrous debate with Trump that caused a significant shift within the Democratic Party. Up until then, questions about Biden’s age and mental fitness had been brushed aside as political attacks, but now, even Schumer privately thought the doubts about Biden’s fitness were impossible to ignore.
However, Schumer had been hesitant for months to push for a change. He feared that starting conversations about Biden’s future would divide the party and weaken its position—especially if those talks leaked to the press. But after the debate, Schumer found himself in a position where he had no choice. The debate had forced an important conversation about Biden’s political viability, and Democrats were now urging Schumer to take action.
Donors and lawmakers began calling Schumer nonstop, urging him to tell Biden it was time to step aside. But Schumer held off, trying to maintain unity within the party. He advised them to keep their concerns private, fearing that public calls for Biden’s departure would only push him further into defiance.
Eventually, Obama, concerned about the inaction from the party, decided to step in. But he, too, was worried about how to approach Biden. After all, Obama’s relationship with Biden had been strained after Obama supported Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election. Obama confided in Schumer that he wasn’t sure he was the right messenger, adding that Schumer might be better suited for the task.
A week later, Schumer met with Biden at his beach house in Rehoboth. Their conversation was tough but necessary. Schumer told Biden that if the Democratic caucus held a secret ballot, only a few senators would support his re-election bid. He warned that if Biden stayed in the race and lost to Trump, it would undo years of good work and leave a dark mark on his legacy.
Biden ultimately took Schumer’s advice and stepped aside, making room for Vice President Kamala Harris to run. However, even after stepping down, Biden has continued to believe that he could have beaten Trump if he had stayed in the race. During a recent press conference, Biden reiterated that he believed he could have won, but ultimately, he said his decision to step aside was about party unity.
This dramatic behind-the-scenes moment shows just how much pressure and strategy go into political decisions—especially when it comes to determining who will lead the party in an election. Biden’s story reminds us that sometimes, the toughest decisions are the ones that shape history.
