Bill Maher: Question of Biden replacement 'isn't if, it's who'

Comedian and TV personality Bill Maher said he believes President Biden will withdraw from the race to be the Democratic presidential nominee as early as Aug. 9, the 50th anniversary of President Nixon's resignation, suggesting it is inevitable amid increasing calls for him to step aside.

“The one thing I know for sure is this: The question isn't if, it’s who because he is not going to be the Democrats candidate for president,” the "Real Time with Bill Maher" host said Friday.  “The one thing I know for sure about America is this, it's run by Mean Girls, mean girls in the press and in politics and in life, and when they smell blood in the water, the lust to finish off a vulnerable person will never be denied. 

“Biden is toast,” he added. “The walls will keep crumbling, and my pick in the office pool for when he gives it up is August 9.” 

The incumbent has come under growing pressure following a disastrous debate performance last month, in which he stumbled over answers and sounded raspy.

Critics have called on the president to drop out of the race and allow someone else to take on former President Trump. Questions are also swirling around whether Biden can not only defeat the former president in November, but if he has enough stamina to serve another four years in office.

The president has attempted to quell concerns about his mental acuity by hosting campaign events and speaking to media, including a high-stakes on-camera interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos last week and a solo press conference at the end of the NATO summit Thursday.

However, those efforts have not been enough, with a growing number of Congressional Democrats still calling for the president to stand down. 

Top House leaders, such as former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), have publicly said they back Biden. However, reports suggest they are working in the background to replace Biden at the top of the ticket.

House Democratic Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) met with Biden this week and said he had conveyed the full breadth of opinions in the House caucus to the president.

Maher also brushed off concerns about replacing Biden this late in the election.

“Replacing a president as his party's candidate this late will seem like a big deal for about three days, and then we'll all be over it,” Maher said Friday, going through a list of Democrats he believed could take Biden's place.

“Kamala Harris, vice president, will get all of Biden's campaign money, and on the Democrat's best issue, abortion, she's a walking reminder to women that Republicans are coming for the abortion bill,” he said. “She won’t just protect Plan B. She is Plan B.” 

However, he added that he does not believe Harris is liked enough to win the presidency, saying that he votes for people “who will win.” 

“For whatever reason, Harris has never been popular,” he said. “In four years as vice president, she's been quieter than an electric car. And like an electric car, your MAGA Uncle can't explain why she fills him with homicidal rage. She just does."

"Sometimes life isn't fair. It's not fair that she's not popular," he added. "She's intelligent and accomplished.” 

Maher then ran through Govs. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) and Gretchen Whitmer (D-Mich.), adding that he does not buy into criticisms against Newsom for being “slick.” 

“Newsom is the best communicator in the party, with a history of standing up to bullies," he argued.

Maher believes Whitmer is a “very attractive choice” because she is a “high profile female governor who owns dogs but doesn't shoot them,” a reference to a controversial story line South Dakota Gov. Kirsti Noem (R) used in her memoir that sparked criticism and likely moved her off Trump's potential VP shortlist.

The TV host also mentioned Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, saying he was “perfect for this moment" and urged Democrats to look at governors across the state, even those who aren't as widely known.

“It's important to understand no one knows who these people are, and that's good," he added. "We need some new characters on this sitcom we call the country."

Newsom and Whitmer, however, have both said they would stand behind Biden, dispelling rumors that they could replace Biden on the ticket. The Michigan governor, however, did not close the door on serving as Harris's running mate if the incumbent chose to step aside.

Still, the president has maintained that he will stay the course and run against former President Trump in November.