Chuck Schumer signaled he was open to other candidates prior to Trump-Biden debate: report

Before the presidential debate on Thursday night, Democrat Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer reportedly told political allies that he was open to the idea of having a Democratic nominee other than Joe Biden if the president performed poorly in the debate.  

Although Schumer wasn't actively planning to replace Biden as the party's nominee, he saw the early debate as an opportunity for Biden to recover from a poor showing and for the Democratic Party to consider other options, according to sources who spoke to Axios. 

Following the president’s abysmal performance on Thursday night which left many voters concerned about his age and cognitive state, many Democratic pundits have suggested a change in the party’s nominee. However, no top political leaders from the party have endorsed this idea, and Democratic officials have continued to support Biden being the nominee’s choice for the upcoming election. 

A spokesperson for Schumer stated, “Leader Schumer has always supported and continues to support President Biden as the nominee and believes he will be re-elected.” The Senate majority leader also posted after the debate, "Tonight's debate made the choice clear: Four more years of progress, or four more years of attacks on our fundamental rights and our democracy. We've got to get out the vote for Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and a Democratic Senate and House!” 

Other Democratic leaders have voiced support for Biden following the debate, including former President Barack Obama who defended him saying that “bad debate nights happen” and urging voters to consider Biden’s entire career rather than one bad night.  

Former President Bill Clinton also chimed in, posting, "I'll leave the debate rating to the pundits, but here's what I know: facts and history matter. Joe Biden has given us 3 years of solid leadership, steadying us after the pandemic, creating a record number of new jobs, making real progress solving the climate crisis, and launching a successful effort in reducing inflation, all while pulling us out of the quagmire Donald Trump left us in.”