Democrat kingmaker Jim Clyburn keeps door open for Biden to be replaced

Key Biden ally Rep. Jim Clyburn suggested the president could still drop out of the running after his momentous NATO press conference. 

Clyburn told the Today Show's Savannah Guthrie that he takes Biden 'at his word' with his decision to stay in the race. 

'That's why I'm all in, I'm riding with Biden, no matter what direction he goes, no matter what method he takes, I'm with Joe Biden,' Clyburn said. 'And if he were to change his mind, I just answered the question that I will be all in for the vice president.' 

Three more Democrats called on Biden to drop out after his news conference. That brought the number up to 17 public calls for Biden to step aside from congressional Democrats - and many more behind closed doors. 

Key Biden ally Rep. Jim Clyburn suggested the president could still drop out of the running after his momentous NATO press conference

Clyburn said it should be Biden's own decision on what he does with his future. 

'The conversation should focus on the record of this administration, on the alternative to his election and let Joe Biden continue to make his own decisions about his future,' said Clyburn. 'He's earned that right, and I am going to give him that much respect.' 

The South Carolina Democrat said the conversation around Biden's fitness for office should focus on 'substance' and his 'record.' 

'He has one of the best minds that I've ever been around,' Clyburn said. He added that Biden 'sometimes mangle words and phrases' and reminded the host Craig Melvin Biden has a stutter. 

'Those of us who are real close watchers of Joe Biden, we do know that he sometimes mangles words and phrases. But all of that is almost natural for people who grew up stuttering, and they do focus a little more,' Clyburn said. 'And when you focus a little more, you tend to lose the flow.' 

Clyburn propelled Biden to the Democratic nomination in 2020 with an endorsement. 

'If he decides to change his mind later on, then we will respond to that,' Clyburn said. 'We have until the 19th of August to open our convention. And so I would hope we'd spend our time now focusing on the record we would lay out for the American people.' 

Clyburn himself is years older than Biden at 84. He serves as assistant Democratic leader and a key member of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), which is divided over how to move forward with Biden as their leader.  

Clyburn later insisted the conversation around Biden getting out of the race should cease. 

The longtime Democratic powerhouse was asked if Biden were to step down, would he show the same support for Vice President Kamala Harris. 

'Absolutely, no question about that,' he said. 

Biden had at one point in the press briefing called Vice President Kamala Harris 'Vice President Trump'

'She has acquitted herself well in the job as vice president, and he never would have picked her in the first place if he didn't think that she was capable of being president. I think that she's demonstrated, especially in these recent weeks, when all of this microscope has been focused on her and him, and she has acquitted himself famously.' 

Biden had at one point in the press briefing called Vice President Kamala Harris 'Vice President Trump' and just before it he called Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky 'President Putin.'  

While some Democrats publicly praised Biden's debate performance - and the Biden team took a victory lap - others worry that they've hit a point where Biden's performance was decent enough to convince him he doesn't need to drop out but not good enough to quell concerns about his cognitive decline.