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Democratic Convention delegates unload on Biden in leaked Facebook chat plotting his downfall and fearing 'fury' if Kamala is passed over
The bitter divisions within the Democratic Party over President Joe Biden's future are laid bare in a leaked cache of Facebook messages sent among California delegates ahead of their convention next month.
They show plummeting confidence in Biden, 81, after his disastrous debate performance and tensions among supporters of different candidates.
The angry messages were fired between Democrats even as their party leaders insisted that Biden had their full support.
Delegate Susan Bolle said more than 150 voters had contacted her asking her to demand Biden stand aside.
'Obviously, the first step would be that President Biden steps down of his own accord and frees his delegates,' she wrote in the private 2024 California DNC Delegate Group.
President Joe Biden on Tuesday in Las Vegas. A day later he was diagnosed with COVID-19. Meanwhile the chorus of Democrats calling for him to stand aside has only grown louder
'We should discuss this. This is a painful experience on every level, but we play an outsized role in history this election. This cannot be left to chance.'
The messages were sent in the Facebook group and then in a separate Signal chain of California delegates, according to Politico, which obtained the cache.
California will have the biggest delegation at the convention in Chicago next month.
And the state's is home to two of the most important players in Biden's next steps: Vice President Kamala Harris and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who remains one of the party's most influential figures.
Harris was quickly identified by delegates as the obvious candidate to replace Biden.
Nico Brancolini, a vice president of the Stonewall Democratic Club, said Harris may not be the 'strongest' but would logistically would be the 'cleanest' switch.
'But imagine the fury if a sitting vice president who is a black woman were passed over for any of the other candidates,' he added.
Others soon weighed in with their preferred candidates, including Govs. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, and Gavin Newsom of California.
Some were angry that Biden had left it so late.
California Democrats will play a pivotal role in what happens next. Vice President Kamala Harris is the obvious candidate to replace Biden and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi remains one of the most influential voices in the party
'If Trump gets reelected it's 100 percent Biden’s fault,' wrote Melissa Garcia.
But some were worried the debate would undermine support for the president.
'As I said, I am pledged to Joe,' wrote delegate Agi Kessler.
Meanwhile Biden was fighting to save his political career, traveling to battleground states, hosting NATO leaders at the White House and holding an hour-long press conference to show he was still up to the job despite being the nation's oldest president.
All the while a drip, drip, drip of lawmakers went public with their worries.
Eventually moderators of the discussion group stepped in.
'We understand there may be some disagreement about whether Biden should stay in the race,' wrote Sascha Bittner. 'However, he has made it clear that he is, and the vast majority of us are pledged delegates to him.
'Thus, we have decided to prohibit any organizing for a new candidate for president in this group.'
Further messages on that topic would be deleted.
That brought its own dissent.
'I would never be ok placing limits on free speech,' wrote delegate Roberto Hernandez. 'This is not what I thought Biden delegates would be like.'