Presidential historian weighs in on Biden, Republican Party pressure

BOSTON — With pressure mounting on President Joe Biden and a failed assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump, presidential experts say this is unlike any week in American politics in history.

Thomas Whalen, presidential historian at Boston University told us both parties are seeing pressure mount just months from election day.

“It seems that ‘none of the above’ is really the winner heading into the fall,” Whalen told Boston 25 Saturday.

President Biden is currently off the campaign trail after testing positive for Covid this past week.

Former President Trump accepted his party’s nomination at the Republican National Convention Thursday, still wounded from his rally in Pennsylvania one week before.

“The assassination attempt on President Trump has really heightened the calls for President Biden to step aside,” said Whalen. “It’s also given Biden some time to not face those questions.”

The Associated Press reported this week that the Biden team acknowledged “slippage” in the president’s support, but still plans to stay in the race.

Whalen added, “The big donors for the Democratic Party are holding shut… I would imagine over no more than a week, Biden will step aside.”

Whalen believes if that were to happen, Vice President Kamala Harris would be the nominee.

He also told Boston 25 that Trump and the Republican Party are vulnerable as well.

“He has about 30 percent members of his party at the convention who were not supporting him,” Whalen explained. “He has issues. There are a lot of double haters out there.”

If changes were to come for the Democratic Party, Whalen believes it might be a swing of momentum.

He finished, “We like new products, new televisions, new cars. Maybe they’ll like a new democratic presidential nominee.”

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