The image presented by Joe Biden in the debate with Donald Trump on Thursday caused concern and worry among Democrats, with even the New York Times calling on the 81-year-old American president to withdraw from the race for the White House.

While the US president was in New York for a ceremony honoring one of the first mobilizations of the LGBTQ community in the United States in June 1969 and for a meeting with donors, the editorial board of the American newspaper wrote that “the greatest service Mr. Biden can now offer the nation is to announce that he will not continue to seek re-election.”

In the same vein, the new cover of Time magazine speaks of panic and points to an exit for Biden.

Commenting on the debate, the New York Times stated, “The president needed to convince the American public that he was equal to the formidable demands of the office he seeks to hold for another term. Voters, however, are unlikely to overlook what was instead clear: Mr. Biden is not the man he was four years ago.”

Biden’s campaign spokesperson responded to the editorial board’s call for the president to exit the 2024 race following his debate performance, emphasizing, “The last time Joe Biden lost the endorsement of the New York Times editorial board, it turned out very well for him.” The NYT had endorsed two Democratic presidential candidates in 2020: Senator Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren.

The campaign spokesperson further clarified, “There is no discussion about the president withdrawing his candidacy for re-election, and he intends to participate in a debate in September against Republican Donald Trump.”

Earlier, the American president had made it clear that not only will he remain a candidate, but he also wants to participate in a second debate, expressing his confidence that he will win the election despite not being young and not walking well.

What would happen if Biden decided to withdraw

House Democrats in competitive states are currently conducting polls regarding the impact of President Joe Biden’s debate performance, as many acknowledged that his performance was a disaster. The poll results are expected early next week and, depending on the numbers, will be communicated to the president’s campaign.

Changing the Democratic candidate would not be an easy process, as Biden is already the presumptive nominee and the overwhelming choice of primary voters. The fact that he won almost all of the party’s delegates across 50 states during the primary season means it is very unlikely he would be forced out of the race.

If Biden decided to withdraw his candidacy at the Democratic convention in Chicago in August, individual delegates would have to choose the party’s nominee from the convention floor.

The Democratic Party set a deadline of June 22 to select more than 3,900 delegates—almost all of whom are currently pledged to Biden—as part of the primary process.

These delegates are not just pledged to vote for Biden; they are also approved by his campaign. Thus, while the majority of convention delegates could decide to select a new nominee, this would require massive defections from Biden’s supporters. It also means that if Biden withdrew from the race, Biden’s supporters would largely be responsible for selecting his replacement.

The Congressional Research Service notes that if a sitting president is deemed incapable after winning the party’s nomination, the 25th Amendment would give the vice president the right to assume the presidency, but party rules would determine who becomes the party’s nominee. This amendment was highlighted by Republican Senate candidate for Arizona, Kari Lake, who commented on Biden’s debate with Trump, stating that the 80-year-old Democrat “is not fit to lead this country” and that the 25th Amendment should be considered, which allows the vice president and a majority of the cabinet to remove the president.

Meanwhile, Republican candidate Donald Trump stated that he does not “believe” there is a chance his Democratic opponent will withdraw his candidacy for re-election in November.

“A lot of people are saying that after his performance, Joe Biden will drop out of the race. But I don’t really believe it,” the former president said to his supporters during a campaign appearance in Virginia.

Who could replace Biden?

According to American media, Vice President Kamala Harris would be the favorite to succeed Biden on the ballot in such a scenario. However, there are other possible candidates who previously argued they could conduct a more effective campaign against former President Donald Trump.

Ambitions are also held by other prominent figures within the Democrats, some of whom might be more ahead in the informal race that will start as soon as the president gives the signal to withdraw.

Four governors are mentioned more for the presidency: Gavin Newsom from California, Gretchen Whitmer from Michigan, Josh Shapiro from Pennsylvania, and J.B. Pritzker from Illinois.

The 56-year-old Newsom has been active lately in his state. He dismisses the idea of Biden withdrawing as “foolish speculation,” but he is one of the most talked-about names. The financial clout and the legal enshrinement of the right to abortion are the strong points of the 59-year-old Pritzker. Finally, the successful tenure are the advantages of the 52-year-old Whitmer. At the very least, age is in favor of all three compared to Trump.It is not unlikely that we will see candidates from 2020 trying their luck again. Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont, Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg are names being mentioned, but they are also without much hope.