CNN: Several Democratic Party Officials and Advisers Say ‘Plans Are Underway if Biden Were to Step Aside’

TAPPER: “Just into our 2024 lead, a senior campaign adviser says President Biden is keeping Vice President Kamala Harris close to him today, inviting her to attend his evening meeting with the governors. This comes as new CNN reporting shows that several Democratic Party officials and advisers say plans are underway if — if Biden were to step aside for the president to throw his support behind his vice president and release his Democratic delegates. CNN’s Jeff Zeleny broke this reporting, he’s here with me now. Jeff, what are you hearing? What’s the story here?”

ZELENY: “Jake, it’s notable that President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are spending considerable time today, including they will be — she will be at that meeting tonight at the White House with Democratic governors. And she, of course, shared lunch with president today, which is not unusual. That’s something that presidents and vice presidents do, but the timing of it is significant. And one adviser explained it to me like this: he’s with her. So, as the president makes his decision — again, it’s his decision to make — a contingency plan, if you will, a succession plan is underway, the discussions of it are, for what would happen if Biden makes the decision to leave. And I am told by several advisers that if he makes that decision, he would be expected to immediately throw his support behind his vice president and ask his delegates to also support her. And then, former presidents and party leaders would also be asked and likely agree to support her as well. All may not, they would be asked to do so. One adviser telling me this: ‘Who would stand up against our historic vice president to be our nominee for president?’ The bottom line here is, time is running out. Time is running short. The Democratic convention is next month. No one is sure how long Biden will decide this. So, again, a contingency plan, a succession plan if he makes that decision. Will everyone be pleased by this? Perhaps not, but that’s where this looks like it is going, people thinking how could you possibly bypass the vice president?”

TAPPER: “Yeah. Let me —“

ZELENY: “She, of course, I should say, is not involved in this contingency planning.”

TAPPER: “Right. Is he even aware of this contingency plan?”

ZELENY: “I don’t know the answer to that question, because most of it is happening — it’s not happening at the White House.”

TAPPER: “Right.”

ZELENY: “It’s happening in the upper levels of Democratic Party elders and things. And I think once we have a little bit of time removed from, yesterday, significant things happened. Look what Speaker Pelosi said.”

TAPPER: “Right.”

ZELENY: “Look what other people are doing behind the scenes. So, time is of the essence here, and the meeting that you reported with the Democratic governors, interesting that she will be in the room, perhaps with some one day challengers, perhaps with some potential running mates, should President Biden decide to make a decision here.”

TAPPER: “Which he has not, as far as we know.”

ZELENY: “So all this may be for not.”

TAPPER: “Right.”

ZELENY: “But, again, one adviser said it’d be malpractice to not talk about this and have a plan underway.”

TAPPER: “Yeah. Jeff Zeleny, great reporting. Thank you so much.”