Former US president Barack Obama’s half-brother Abon’go Malik Obama declared that he would be voting for Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential elections.

“I am Malik Obama. I’m a registered Republican and I’m voting for President Donald Trump,” he wrote in a post on X.

I am Malik Obama. I’m a registered Republican and I’m voting for President Donald Trump.

— Malik Obama (@ObamaMalik) September 4, 2024

Obama’s brother has supported Trump against Democratic presidential candidates that the former president backed in the last two elections, including Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. 

Talking to The New York Post, Malik Obama said that he liked Trump because he “speaks from the heart.” 

“Make America Great Again is a great slogan, I would like to meet him [Trump],” he said.

In the past, Obama’s half-brother has labelled him a “deep disappointment” and blamed Hillary Clinton for his departure from the party.

Malik Obama, who has also been a featured guest of the Trump campaign in 2016, said he was “110% still with Trump”.

An accountant by profession, Malik Obama was the best man at Obama’s wedding to Michelle Robinson in 1992 and even visited the White House during his half-brother’s time in office.

“I stuck with Barack Obama all through his presidency, until I realized he was all about himself,” Malik posted on X in 2022. “That’s when I ditched him for President Trump.

The two half-brothers held a cordial relationship before Obama. Still, they had a falling out after Malik Obama launched a charity called the Barack H. Obama Foundation but failed to register it and lied about it being a tax-exempt organisation.

He also added to the conspiracy theory, spread largely by Donald Trump, that claimed that former president Obama was not born in the US and was a Kenyan citizen. At the time, Malik Obama shared a fake image of a birth certificate, dated from before the 1964 establishment of the Republic of Kenya, that purportedly showed his half-brother was born outside the US.

Malik Obama has been vocal on social media about his conservative views on same-sex marriage and abortion. “We Want More Babies. My President,” he posted on X last month after Trump pledged that if elected his government would pay for free IVF treatments

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz may not have been present at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday evening, but his fashion sense was certainly felt. On Tuesday, former US President Barack Obama praised Walz’s signature flannel shirts, saying they “don’t come from some political consultant, they come from his closet.”

Obama on Tim Walz: Let me tell you something. I love this guy… You can tell those flannel shirts he wears don’t come from some political consultant, they come from his closet, and they have been through some stuff. pic.twitter.com/8vYqzNvWNy

— Acyn (@Acyn) August 21, 2024

The next day, Walz’s wife, Gwen, reacted to Obama’s comment by posting a photo of her husband sewing a button on one of his beloved flannel shirts. “It’s so true, @BarackObama. Tim loves his flannels,” she wrote on X.

Obama reposted the photo, expressing his admiration for Walz. “I love this guy. Watch tonight to hear from @Tim_Walz – a man who knows what leadership looks like – and how to fix his own flannels.” 

I love this guy. Watch tonight to hear from @Tim_Walz — a man who knows what leadership looks like — and how to fix his own flannels. https://t.co/exzqjUzplL

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 22, 2024

The exchange came just before Tim Walz accepted his party’s nomination for vice president on Wednesday. Walz’s flannel style has been a hallmark of his folksy, down-to-earth persona, and it appears to have resonated with voters. His convention address was met with enthusiasm from the packed arena.

Walz thanked the delegates for “bringing the joy” to the election. “We’re all here tonight for one beautiful, simple reason: We love this country,” he said, as thousands of delegates held up ‘Coach Walz”‘ placards in red, white and blue. 

Tim Walz’s speech was filled with intimate details about his family’s struggles, including their battle with infertility. He spoke about the importance of respecting others’ choices, saying, “In Minnesota, we respect our neighbours and the personal choices they make and even if we wouldn’t make those same choices for ourselves we’ve got a golden rule: mine your own damn business.”

A heartwarming clip shared on social media showed Walz’s son, Gus, in tears beside his mother and sister, Hope, as they clapped and cheered for the governor. 

Tim Walz’s kids tear up: “That’s my dad!” pic.twitter.com/xfw3C2aI9N

— Brennan Murphy (@brenonade) August 22, 2024

Meanwhile, Wednesday’s convention featured speeches by Barack and Michelle Obama. 

Former U.S. President Barack Obama gestures as he speaks during Day 2 of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 20, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Warning of a difficult fight ahead, former U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama on Tuesday (August 20, 2024) called on the nation to embrace Kamala Harris in urgent messages to the Democratic National Convention that were at times both hopeful and combative.

“America, hope is making a comeback,” the former first lady declared. She then tore into Republican Donald Trump, a sharp shift from the 2016 convention speech in which she told her party, “When they go low, we go high.”

“His limited and narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking, highly educated, successful people who also happened to be Black,” Ms. Obama said of Mr. Trump.

Mr. Obama, the former president, called Mr. Trump “a 78-year-old billionaire who hasn’t stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago.”

“It’s been a constant stream of gripes and grievances that’s actually gotten worse now that he’s afraid of losing to Kamala,” he charged.

Harris’s coalition

The fiery messages from two of the Democratic Party’s biggest stars underscored the urgency of the moment as Ms. Harris works to stitch together a broad coalition in her bid to defeat Mr. Trump this fall. She is drawing on stars like the Obamas and other celebrities, officials from the far left to the middle, and even some Republicans to boost her campaign.

And while the theme of the night was “a bold vision for America’s future,” the disparate factions of Ms. Harris’ evolving coalition demonstrated, above all, that they are connected by a desire to prevent a second Trump presidency.

Just ahead of the Obamas’ remarks, Ms. Harris addressed an estimated 15,000 people in battleground Wisconsin in the arena where Republicans held their convention last month. She declared that she was running “a people-powered campaign.”

“Together we will chart a new way forward,” the vice president said in remarks that were partially broadcast to the DNC. “A future for freedom, opportunity, of optimism and faith.”

Schumer, Sanders praise Harris

Back in Chicago, Senators Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, and Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent beloved by progressives, both praised Ms. Harris. And in an appearance perhaps intended to needle Mr. Trump, his former press secretary Stephanie Grisham — now a harsh critic of her former boss — also took the convention stage.

Mr. Trump “has no empathy, no morals and no fidelity to the truth,” Ms. Grisham said. “I love my country more than my party. Kamala Harris tells the truth. She respects the American people. And she has my vote.”

Still, it was not all serious on the second night of the four-day convention.

A symbolic roll call in which delegates from each State pledged their support for the Democratic nominee turned into a party atmosphere. A DJ played a mix of state-specific songs — and Atlanta native Lil Jon ran out during Georgia’s turn to his hit song with DJ Snake, “Turn Down for What,” to the delight of the thousands inside the cavernous United Center.

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, who would become the nation’s first gentleman if his wife wins the presidency, shared personal details about his relationship with Ms. Harris — their cooking habits, their first date and her laugh, which is often mocked by Republican critics.

“You know that laugh. I love that laugh!” Mr. Emhoff said as the crowd cheered. Later, he added, “Her empathy is her strength.”

Mr. Trump, meanwhile, was out on the campaign trail as part of his weeklong swing-State tour during the Democratic convention. He went to Howell, Michigan, on Tuesday and stood aside sheriff’s deputies as he labelled Harris the “ringleader” of a “Marxist attack on law enforcement” across the country.

“Kamala Harris will deliver crime, chaos, destruction and death,” Mr. Trump said.

The Democratic National Convention started with US President Joe Biden giving a fiery speech against Donald Trump, a former US President facing several court cases and survivor of an assassination attempt.

1. The DNC, the biggest event of the year for the party, officially anointed US Vice President Kamala Harris as a candidate for the 2024 US Presidential Election against Donald Trump, who is seeking a second term.

2. The four-day event, which is taking place in Chicago, began yesterday and saw Joe Biden giving a fiery speech against Mr Trump and calling him a “loser”. “He called soldiers who gave their lives for this country, suckers and losers. Who does he think he is?” Mr Biden asked. “Trump bows down to (Vladimir) Putin. I never have and Kamala Harris will never do it,” President Biden said.

3. On day one, President Biden criticised Mr Trump’s “America First” doctrine, which he said had damaged the nation’s global image, contrasting his own administration’s efforts to unite Europe and counter Russian aggression.

4. Kamala Harris will make a big speech on August 22, the last day of the event, but one of the notable speakers today will be her husband, Doug Emhoff, a successful lawyer. If Harris wins, then Emhoff will be the first “first gentleman” of the United States. 

5. The convention also served as a farewell for Joe Biden, who withdrew his nomination in an unprecedented move witnessed in modern US electoral history. In 1968, President Lyndon B Johnson declared in the middle of the Vietnam War that he would not run for re-election.

6. What followed after a fiery speech was a four-minute-long standing ovation and Kamala Harris making a surprise appearance to thank President Biden for being “incredible”.

7. “I love you,” the tearful 81-year-old president told the crowd to deafening cheers, less than a month after dropping out of the White House race against Donald Trump and passing the torch to his vice president.

8. Today, former US President Barack Obama will hand over the baton of the party’s future to Ms Harris. Obama posted on social media that his Democratic National Convention address will lay out “what’s at stake” and why Harris and her running mate Tim Walz “should be our next president and vice president.”

9. Kamala Harris will hold a rally ahead of Obama’s speech in the Milwaukee basketball arena where Trump attended the Republican convention just a month ago. The 18,000-seater arena has been chosen deliberately to pinch Trump, who is rattled to see the US President’s deputy filling venues. In a recent poll, Ms Harris had a marginal lead against Donald Trump. 

10. Apart from Obama, Hilary Clinton – the first woman to secure a major US party’s nomination for the presidential election, also addressed the delegates yesterday. “As president, she (Kamala Harris) will always have our backs and she will be a fighter for us. She will fight to lower costs for hard-working families, open the doors wide for good paying jobs and, yes, she will restore abortion rights nationwide,” Ms Clinton said

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U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks on the phone with former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as the Obamas endorse Harris as the Democratic presidential candidate in this still image taken from a video released on July 26, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama have endorsed Kamala Harris in her White House bid, giving the vice president the expected but still crucial backing of the nation’s two most popular Democrats.

The endorsement, announced Friday morning in a video showing Harris accepting a joint phone call from the former first couple, comes as Harris continues to build momentum as the party’s likely nominee after President Joe Biden’s decision to end his reelection bid and endorse his second-in-command against Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump.

It also highlights the friendship and potentially historic link between the nation’s first Black president and the first woman, first Black woman and first person of Asian descent to serve as vice president, who is now vying to break those same barriers at the presidential rank.

“We called to say Michelle and I couldn’t be prouder to endorse you and do everything we can to get you through this election and into the Oval Office,” the former President told Harris, who is shown taking the call as she walks backstage at an event, trailed by a Secret Service agent.

Said Michelle Obama, “I can’t have this phone call without saying to my girl, Kamala, I am proud of you.

“This is going to be historic,” she added.

Ms. Harris, who has known the Obamas since before his election in 2008, thanked them for their friendship and said she looks forward to “getting there, being on the road” with them in the three-month blitz before Election Day on Nov. 5.

“We’re gonna have some fun with this too, aren’t we?” Harris said.

The Obamas are perhaps the last major party figures to endorse Ms. Harris formally — a reflection of the former president’s desire to remain, at least publicly, a party elder operating above the fray. The Obamas remain prodigious fundraising draws and popular surrogates at large campaign events for Democratic candidates.

According to an Associated Press survey, Ms. Harris already has secured the public support of a majority of delegates to the Democratic National Convention, which begins Aug. 19 in Chicago. The Democratic National Committee expects to hold a virtual nominating vote that would, by Aug. 7, make Harris and a yet-to-be-named running mate the official Democratic ticket.

Mr. Biden endorsed Ms. Harris within an hour of announcing his decision last Sunday to end his campaign amid widespread concern about the 81-year-old president’s ability to defeat Trump. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, House Minority Whip Jim Clyburn, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton followed in the days after.

The Obamas, however, trod carefully as Ms. Harris secured the delegate commitments, made the rounds among core Democratic constituencies and raised more than $120 million. The public caution tracks how the former president handled the weeks between Mr. Biden’s debate debacle against Trump and the President’s eventual decision to end his campaign: Obama was a certain presence in the party’s maneuvers but he operated quietly.

Barack Obama’s initial statement after Mr. Biden’s announcement did not mention Ms. Harris. Instead, he spoke generically about coming up with a nominee to succeed Biden: “I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges,” the former president wrote.

Both Obamas campaigned separately for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020, including large rallies on the closing weekends before Election Day. They delivered key speeches at the Democrats’ convention in 2020, a virtual event because of the coronavirus pandemic. The former president’s speech was especially notable because he unveiled a full-throated attack on Trump as a threat to democracy, an argument that endures as part of Ms. Harris’ campaign.

Former US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle endorsed Kamala Harris’ bid for president on Friday in a roughly one-minute long video that captured a private phone call between the couple and the current vice president.

“We called to say Michelle and I couldn’t be prouder to endorse you and to do everything we can to get you through this election and into the Oval Office,” Obama told Harris.

“I am proud of you. This is going to be historic,” the former first lady told Harris.

Talking into a cell phone and cracking a few smiles, Harris expressed her gratitude for the endorsement and their long friendship.

“Thank you both. It means so much. And we’re gonna have some fun with this too,” Harris said.

The campaign said the video was the actual call, not a reenactment.

Harris’s surprise bid against Republican rival Donald Trump continues to gain steam from supporters, donors and politicians less than a week after President Joe Biden bowed out of the race amid slumping poll numbers.

Obama, the first US Black president, remains one of the most popular figures in the Democratic party even after more than a decade has passed since he was last elected.

Obama has lent his support to Biden during big-money fundraisers, which were among some of the biggest blockbuster events of his campaign.

The endorsement could help activate and sustain energy and fundraising for Harris’ campaign and it signals he is likely to get on the campaign trail for Harris once she is officially the presumptive nominee.

Obama initially withheld his endorsement even as Biden, his former vice president, anointed her as his heir apparent. Obama reportedly did not want to put his thumb on the scale as the party worked through the process of determining its nominee.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Many Democratic leaders have backed Kamala Harris as the party’s new US Presidential candidate, but ex-president Barack Obama has held off so far.

According to the New York Post, Obama hasn’t endorsed Harris – who US President Joe Biden supported after he dropped out of the race on Sunday, as he doesn’t think she can beat Republican candidate Donald Trump.

“Obama is very upset because he knows she can’t win,” a Biden family source told The New York Post.

“Obama knows she’s just incompetent – the border czar who never visited the border, saying that all migrants should have health insurance. She cannot navigate the landmines that are ahead of her,” the source said. “When you are running for president there are things you can and can’t say.”

The source said that Obama’s hope was to get Biden out of the way and an article written by actor George Clooney, asking him to step aside, was a part of that plan.

Obama wanted Arizona Senator Mark Kelly “at the top of the ticket” when the Democratic National Convention is held next month, the source told The New York Post.

“Obama is furious, things haven’t gone his way, which is why he is not joining in the Democratic Party’s support of Harris,” the source added.

Michelle Obama To Replace Joe Biden?

Earlier last month, before Joe Biden bowed out, US Senator Ted Cruz predicted that former First Lady Michelle Obama would replace him.

His prediction came after Biden’s presidential debate against Donald Trump, which was widely criticised by political analysts.

“The odds are north of 80% that the Democratic Party will remove Joe Biden from the ticket and replace him with Michelle Obama because Biden did so disastrously badly tonight that Democrats across the country are in utter freefall and complete panic,” he said.

Washington:

Former US President Barack Obama commended President Joe Biden’s dedication to the nation in light of Biden’s recent Oval Office address, marking a pivotal moment in American politics.

Biden’s first speech came since he announced his withdrawal from the 2024 election race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party nominee for president.

“Joe Biden has stayed true to these words again and again over a lifetime of service to the American people,” Obama remarked, reflecting on Biden’s extensive career in public office.

The Oval Office address, traditionally reserved for moments of national significance or policy declarations, provided Biden with a platform to articulate his decision and rally support for Harris as the next leader of the country.

Returning to the White House after testing negative for COVID-19, Biden framed the upcoming election as a critical choice between progress and regression, hope and division. “I revere this office, but I love my country more,” Biden affirmed, emphasising his commitment to defending democracy and the collective well-being of the American people.

In his address, Biden called upon Americans to unite and recognise their shared values, casting the election as pivotal in shaping the nation’s trajectory for decades to come. He expressed optimism in the American spirit and underscored the importance of protecting democratic principles, urging unity over division.

While Biden did not directly mention former President Donald Trump, he contrasted his approach with Trump’s contentious presidency, highlighting the imperative of safeguarding the integrity of democratic processes.

The upcoming US presidential election on November 5 will see Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee, following Biden’s endorsement. Harris, has garnered substantial support within the party and secured enough delegates for nomination, however, former US President Obama has not formally endorsed Harris.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Washington DC:

Former President Barack Obama, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have yet to make their stand clear on endorsing Kamala Harris for the Presidential nomination. This even as a slew of Democrat Party leaders on Sunday displayed a show of support for Vice President Kamala Harris as their new presidential candidate, Politico reported.

Former President Barack Obama in a post on the platform Medium said “We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges.”

The statement, however, stops just short of officially backing Harris for the top job. Obama’s endorsement of Harris will be critical given that the Democratic National Convention is being held between August 19 to 22 on Obama’s home turf of Chicago.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s reaction to the withdrawal of Joe Biden from the presidential race was one of effusive praise for Biden but had nothing to suggest that she had endorsed Harris.

“President Joe Biden is a patriotic American who has always put our country first. His legacy of vision, values and leadership make him one of the most consequential Presidents in American history. With love and gratitude to President Biden for always believing in the promise of America and giving people the opportunity to reach their fulfilment,” she said on X.

After President Joe Biden endorsed her to be the new Presidential nominee, Harris got support from several Democrats like former President Bill Clinton, and former Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. In a statement, the Clintons said “We are honoured to join the President in endorsing Vice President Harris and will do whatever to support her.”

Congressman Ro Khanna also endorsed Kamla Harris saying “I am proud to endorse Kamala Harris as our nominee. Her trailblazing candidacy as the first African American woman and first Asian American will be a jolt of energy in our party. Our party can now run on a message of hope and a vision for the future.”

Congressman Jim Clyburn representing South Carolina’s 6th Congressional district said he echoed President Biden’s endorsement of Harris.

“I echo the good judgement he demonstrated in selecting Vice President Harris to lead this nation alongside him, and I am proud today to follow his lead in support of her candidacy to succeed him as the Democratic Party’s 2024 nominee for President,” he said.

The goal now for the supporters of Harris is to get enough backers on board to help her win the nomination when the Democratic National Convention gets underway.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who has been spoken of as a potential Vice Presidential running mate to Harris called for the party to unite behind her and focus on winning the election.

“The best path forward for the Democratic Party is to quickly unite behind Vice President Harris and refocus on winning the presidency. the contrast in this race could not be clearer and the road to victory in November runs right through Pennsylvania this collective work began. I will do everything I can to help elect Kamala Harris as the 47th President of the United States,” Shapiro said in a statement on X.

With barely a month to go before the Democratic party convenes in Chicago the task before them is tough, Donald Trump already has a head start and only a united front can hope to wrest the initiative from him.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Former President Barack Obama has privately expressed concerns to Democrats about President Joe Biden’s candidacy, and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi privately warned Mr. Biden that Democrats could lose the ability to seize control in the House if he didn’t step away from the race.

Ms. Pelosi also showed Mr. Biden polling that he likely can’t defeat Republican Donald Trump, according to people familiar with the matter who insisted on anonymity to discuss it.

Time racing, Democrats at the highest levels are making a critical push for Mr. Biden to reconsider his reelection bid, as unease grows at the White House and within the campaign at a fraught moment for the president and his party.

Mr. Biden has insisted he is not backing down, adamant that he is the candidate who beat Trump before and will do it again this year. Pressed about reports that Mr. Biden might be softening to the idea of leaving the race, his deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks said on July 18: “He is not wavering on anything.”

In recent days the President has become more committed to staying in the race, according to another person familiar with the matter and granted anonymity to discuss it.

But influential Democrats from the highest levels of the party apparatus, including congressional leadership headed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, are sending signals of concern. Some Democrats hope Mr. Biden will assess the trajectory of the race and his legacy during this few days’ pause.

Using mountains of data showing Mr. Biden’s standing could wipe out the ranks of Democrats in Congress, frank conversations in public and private, and now, the President’s own time off the campaign trail after testing positive for COVID-19, many Democrats see an opportunity to encourage a reassessment.

Time is of the essence. If Democrats are seriously preparing the extraordinary step of replacing Mr. Biden and shifting Vice-President Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket, this weekend will be critical to changing the President’s mind, other people familiar with the private conversations said.

One said it’s now or never ahead of a planned virtual roll call to nominate the party’s choice in early August, ahead of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Over the past week, Mr. Schumer and Mr. Jeffries, both of New York, have spoken privately to the President, candidly laying out the views of Democrats on Capitol Hill, including Democrats’ concerns.

Separately, the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Representative Suzan DelBene of Washington, spoke with the President last week armed with fresh data. The campaign chief specifically aired the concerns of frontline Democrats who are seeking election to the House.

And on July 17, California Representative Adam Schiff, a close ally of Ms. Pelosi, became the highest-profile House Democrat to call for Mr. Biden to drop his reelection bid, saying that while the decision is Mr. Biden’s alone to make, he believes it’s time to “pass the torch”. Mr. Biden, in a radio interview taped just before he tested positive for COVID-19, dismissed the idea it was too late for him to recover politically, telling Univision’s Luis Sandoval that it’s still early and that many people don’t focus on the election until September.

“All the talk about who’s leading and where and how, is kind of, you know — everything so far between Trump and me has been basically even,” he said in an excerpt of the interview released on July 18 morning.

Some national polls do show a close race, though others suggest Trump with a lead. And some State polls have contained warning signs too, including a recent New York Times/Siena poll that suggested a competitive race in Virginia.

While the tensions over Mr. Biden’s ability to carry on a winning campaign subsided some, particularly after the Trump assassination attempt and as the Republican National Convention was under way in Milwaukee, Democrats know they have limited time to resolve the party turmoil after the President’s faltering debate performance last month.

To be sure, many Democrats want Mr. Biden to stay in the race. And the Democratic National Committee is pushing ahead with plans for a virtual vote to formally make Mr. Biden its nominee in the first week of August, ahead of the Democratic National Convention that begins August 19 in Chicago.

Late on July 17, ABC News reported new details about Mr. Biden’s private meeting over the weekend with Mr. Schumer at the President’s beach home in Delaware. It said Mr. Schumer told the President it would be “better for the Democratic Party, and better for the country if he were to bow out.”

A Schumer spokesperson called the report “idle speculation. Leader Schumer conveyed the views of his caucus directly to President Biden on Saturday.”

White House spokesman Andrew Bates said Mr. Biden told Mr. Schumer, as well as Mr. Jeffries, that “he is the nominee of the party, he plans to win, and looks forward to working with both of them to pass his 100 days agenda to help working families.”

But among Democrats nationwide, nearly two-thirds say Mr. Biden should step aside and let his party nominate a different candidate, according to a new AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll. That sharply undercuts Mr. Biden’s post-debate claim that “average Democrats” are still with him even if some “big names” are turning on him.

Mr. Biden tested positive for COVID-19 while traveling on July 17 in Las Vegas and is experiencing “mild symptoms” including “general malaise” from the infection, the White House said.

The President, who has spent the past several days campaigning, had already been scheduled to return to his Delaware beach home even before the diagnosis.

Mr. Schiff’s announcement brings to nearly 20 the number of Democratic members of Congress calling on Mr. Biden to withdraw from the presidential race in the wake of his dismal debate performance against Trump last month.

Mr. Schiff said that by bowing out, Mr. Biden would “secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election.”

Mr. Schiff is a prominent Democrat on his own, and his statement will also be watched because of his proximity to Ms. Pelosi.

It was Ms. Pelosi who revived questions about Mr. Biden post-debate, when she said recently that “it’s up to the President” to decide what to do — even though Mr. Biden had already fully stated he had no intention of stepping aside. The former House Speaker publicly supports the President, but has fielded calls from Democrats since debate night questioning what’s next.

In response to Mr. Schiff’s comments, the Mr. Biden campaign pointed to what it called “extensive support” for him and his reelection bid from members of Congress in key swing states, as well as from the Congressional Black and Hispanic caucuses. The campaign noted that Mr. Biden had been joined on his trip to Nevada this week by nearly a dozen Congressional Black Caucus members.

Still, Mr. Schiff’s announcement came after Mr. Schumer and Mr. Jeffries encouraged the party to delay for a week plans to hold the virtual vote to renominate Mr. Biden, which could have taken place as soon as July 21, according to two people familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.

The Democratic National Committee’ s rulemaking arm is set to meet on July 19 to discuss how the virtual vote plans will work and to finalise them next week.

“We will not be implementing a rushed virtual voting process, though we will begin our important consideration of how a virtual voting process would work,” Bishop Leah D. Daughtry and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, co-chairs of the rules committee for the Democratic National Convention wrote in a letter on July 17.