NYT's Friedman: Biden needs to ask himself if Trump wants him to stay in race

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman urged President Biden to give serious consideration to leaving the presidential race in a column Wednesday, noting that former President Trump appears to be “salivating” at the idea of Biden staying in.

“What does your worst enemy, Donald Trump, want you to do now? Then do the opposite,” Friedman wrote.

“Trump is salivating at the prospect of Biden staying in the presidential race so he can pummel him from now until Election Day with 15-second television and radio ads — not to mention memes on social media — of Biden’s incoherent responses in last week’s debate,” he continued. “That is a campaign the Trump G.O.P. cult is surely confident it can win.”

Biden’s first debate performance raised alarms among some Democrats and supporters, with the president struggling to string ideas together or rebut Trump’s many false statements. Biden has fended off growing pressure to step out of the race, as even his allies say he needs to show he's capable of taking on Trump and running the country for four more years.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) became the first sitting member of Congress to call on Biden to leave the race Tuesday, while also encouraging Vice President Harris to take the mantle. Other members, including close Biden ally Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), have said they would back Harris if Biden steps down, though have not called on him to do so.

Friedman predicted that what Trump is worried about is Biden choosing to leave the race.

“He fears that Biden will demonstrate the difference between a leader and a party who put the country first and a leader and a party who put themselves first, namely Trump and the Republicans who enable him despite knowing how many of Trump’s former advisers say he is unfit for office, despite knowing that Trump tried to overturn the last election, despite knowing that Trump has articulated no real plan for the country’s future other than ‘retribution’ against all who crossed him and his followers,” he wrote.

Friedman urged Biden to use the bully pulpit of the presidency to attack Trump over his lies and record, instead of using it to defend himself. 

“These kinds of rebuttals of Trump would be the best parting gift Biden could give to his party and to all Americans,” Friedman wrote.

A CNN poll Tuesday showed Trump now beating Biden nationwide by 6 points, 49 percent support to 43 percent. The same poll showed Trump leading Harris by a narrower margin, 47 percent support to 45 percent.

The poll also showed that 56 percent of Democratic voters and Democratic-leaning independents think their party would have a better chance of winning the White House with someone other than Biden. Only 43 percent of these voters said they think Biden is their best option.

Trump leads Biden by 0.6 percent nationally in The Hill/Decision Desk HQ average of polls.