News Mania Desk/Agnibeena Ghosh/28th July 2024
Washington – At a rally in Minnesota, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump made bold claims about the circumstances surrounding President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race, describing it as a “coup” orchestrated by the Democratic Party.
“This was really a coup of and by the Democrats,” Trump stated. “This was a coup of a man that had 14 million votes. He wanted to run. They wouldn’t let him run. They treated him horribly. They said to him, we can do it the nice way, or we can do it the hard way. To Joe, he’s president.”
Trump alleged that Biden was coerced into stepping down under threats of invoking the 25th Amendment, which allows the Vice President and Cabinet to remove a president deemed physically or cognitively unfit. He claimed the Democrats used this leverage to force Biden out of the race.
“They threatened him with the 25th Amendment. They said, Joe, we’re going to threaten you with the 25th Amendment. You’re cognitively and physically a mess. And if you don’t get out, we’re going to take you out with the 25th Amendment,” Trump, 78, asserted.
The 25th Amendment, passed by Congress in the wake of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, outlines the procedure for presidential succession and grants the Vice President and Cabinet the authority to remove a president if deemed incapable of performing the duties of the office.
According to Trump, Biden’s decision to exit the race was not a voluntary act of bravery, as portrayed by the media, but a forced departure. “And he said, I’ll go. And then the fake news said, oh, he was so brave. He was so brave. No, he was forced to leave,” Trump insisted.
Biden, 81, announced his decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential election on July 20, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee. This decision followed a series of events that significantly impacted Biden’s standing, including a poor debate performance in Atlanta on June 27 and an attempted assassination on Trump, both of which resulted in a sharp decline in Biden’s popularity.
These developments caused concern among Democrats, who began to sense a surge in Trump’s support across the nation. In response to Biden’s withdrawal, the Democrats rallied behind Harris, regaining momentum and presenting a formidable challenge to Trump.
As the political landscape shifts, the allegations made by Trump at his rally highlight the contentious nature of the upcoming election and the deep divisions within American politics. The claims of a “coup” and the use of the 25th Amendment as a threat underscore the intense power struggle and the high stakes involved in the 2024 presidential race.
The Democratic Party’s strategic move to replace Biden with Harris aims to stabilize their campaign and counter the rising tide of Trump’s popularity. Whether this will translate into electoral success remains to be seen, as both parties prepare for a fiercely contested election.
