CNN’s Erin Burnett backtracked Friday after accidentally using violent language to describe the movement to oust President Joe Biden.
Burnett was speaking with fellow CNN host Abby Phillip about the growing demands from Democrats for Biden to step aside and let someone else run for president when she made the remark.
“Democrats have done a really good job at shooting at their own nominee,” she said before immediately grinding to a halt and hurriedly backtracking on her poor choice of words.
“Horrible choice of words,” she admitted. “I shouldn’t have used those words.”
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However, she then continued where she’d left off, noting, “They have been [coming after Biden] — that’s where the fire has been coming from.”
“How much longer can it go on?” Burnett then asked.
“Well, if you’re one of the Democrats who feels incredibly vulnerable right now electorally in terms of the fundraising, you want this to end in the next couple of days because the clock is ticking to the convention,” Phillip responded. “That’s really the timeframe that people who want another nominee, they think that they have to get this done really in the next week in order to have a shot at a process going into the convention.”
“But if you are Joe Biden, you think you actually need to just hold out until the convention when he becomes — actually not even then, they’re going to have a roll call vote that would make him the official nominee in just a matter of a few days, actually. And I think Biden sees the timeline very differently. He sees between now and the convention as a relatively short period of time where he can push back on these calls,” she added.
It’s an especially tough challenge for Democrats in tough races, she continued, pointing to figures like Sen. Sherrod Brown.
Also factoring into the equation are donors who are threatening to withhold funding from certain Democrats unless they turn on President Biden and demand his withdrawal from the 2024 race.
“It is sort of amazing and conversations I’ve had with these donors,” Burnett said. “There’s almost a glee. There’s a power that they’ve never had before. It’s like fantasy football. What ticket do we want in groups of very, very rich people influencing this? Texts that are coming from these donors to people up for reelection saying turn on Biden, or else we cut it off for you, too?”
Phillip also reported hearing from donors.
“I’ve seen these messages going from donors and bundlers who are talking to donors, to candidates and to people who are fundraising on behalf of the candidate committees that are basically saying, we told you weeks ago Biden needs to be off the ticket —Â we want someone else,” she said.
“Some of the messages are even more explicit. We want to have an open process. We don’t want Kamala Harris,” she added.
In 2016, Democrats rigged the super delegate process in their primary to stop Bernie Sanders.
In 2024, they wouldn’t allow debates. Biden won the primary.
Now Biden is being forced out before the convention. Rich donors will select a new candidate.
The party of democracy.
— Cernovich (@Cernovich) July 18, 2024
Meanwhile, a report from The New York Times notes that Democrat donors and megadonors are “plotting to change” the president’s mind “with money.”
“They’re calling every major politician they know, encouraging them to call for Mr. Biden’s removal,” the piece reads. “They’re dangling money to members of Congress who say the right things, and withholding money from those who do not. And even the most reclusive donors are talking to reporters, sometimes on the record, about the turmoil within the party establishment.”
President Biden has thus far resisted calls for him to step aside. At the moment, though, it’s not clear where he stands.
On one hand, reports have emerged that he and his family have begun planning his withdrawal from the 2024Â race. But on the other hand, his closest advisers have said these reports are bull.
This fan fiction is wrong https://t.co/czcwH6qUpd
— Andrew Bates (@AndrewBatesNC) July 18, 2024
— Andrew Bates (@AndrewJBates46) July 19, 2024
It’s not clear who to believe at this point. What’s known is that the Democrat National Committee is intent on declaring Biden the 2024 Democrat nominee as early as next week. Once that’s done, there will be no changing direction and going with someone else.
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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