The message of the call, which Rev. Al Sharpton said took place on Monday, represents a break from the solid core of support influential Black leaders have shown toward President Biden.
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Sharpton Says He Told Biden That Staying in Race Could Imperil His Legacy
The message of the call, which Rev. Al Sharpton said took place on Monday, represents a break from the solid core of support influential Black leaders have shown toward President Biden.
July 18, 2024, 4:02 p.m. ET
The Rev. Al Sharpton said Thursday that he had told President Biden it was time for “a serious calculation” of his standing in the presidential campaign and that remaining in the race could imperil much of Mr. Biden’s legacy as president.
“I said that whatever he does, I’ll always respect what we’ve done together,” Mr. Sharpton said in a phone interview. “I was not one to push him out of the race, but he needs to take a serious calculation of where we’re at because I’m afraid all of the things we fought for because voting rights and affirmative action is at risk.”
The message of the call, which Mr. Sharpton said took place on Monday, represents a significant break from what has been a solid core of support from influential Black leaders for Mr. Biden to continue his campaign.
So far, no Black members of Congress have joined the calls for Mr. Biden to quit his campaign in the wake of his calamitous debate performance last month. Many of them have issued strong statements of support. Black voters propelled Mr. Biden to victory in the 2020 Democratic primary.
Mr. Sharpton said Mr. Biden told him on the call that he planned to remain in the race.
“He called me to let me know that he was hanging in the race no matter what I heard,” Mr. Sharpton said. “He said, ‘If anything changes, I’ll reach out.’”
Mr. Sharpton said he told Mr. Biden to “not be emotional” about staying in the race. He said he urged Mr. Biden to consult polling data and warned him against dismissing signs that suggest he should not continue running.
The president, Mr. Sharpton said, seemed to need someone to talk to about his predicament.
“I got the feeling that he was trying to say to me that he is still running as much as he was telling himself to stay in the race,” Mr. Sharpton said. “He did not want me to join the chorus of people asking him to step aside.”
Mr. Sharpton said Mr. Biden was “shook up” about reports that Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the former House speaker, was maneuvering to put pressure on the president to quit the race. Mr. Sharpton said he did not explicitly urge Mr. Biden to quit the race but warned him of the consequences of remaining in.
“He could walk away with one of the greatest legacies in American history from some of the things he’s done and I don’t think that ought to be marred in any way,” Mr. Sharpton said. “He must make sure he doesn’t mar it in any way by risking it and being emotional and doing something that leads to a defeat.”
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