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Original poster

Did you know in advance Biden would step down on Sunday?

23 replies

noblegiraffe · 22/07/2024 07:34

I'm seeing tweets about people being surprised that he stepped down, that White House staff weren't even briefed and that people didn't think he'd do it.

Yet I'd heard at least few days before that he was expected to stand down on Sunday, so I was waiting for it. I think I heard it on Radio 4.

So how did I know, but they didn't? And why was he expected to stand down on Sunday - what was expected to happen then to prompt it?

OP posts:
WindsChange · 22/07/2024 07:43

James O Brien on LBC had said on Friday he would be gone ‘within 100 hours’ so that was a clue as he’s often correct.

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 22/07/2024 07:50

I suspected that the 'Covid story' was a ruse to allow him to heroically step down feigning illness, but he didn't use that excuse in the end.

Perhaps he forgot what he was supposed to say?

VerySadCase · 22/07/2024 07:53

I had heard that it was expected at the weekend, so I wasn't at all surprised.

I assume that the report just means that the Whitehouse staff would have expected to informed that it was imminent and they weren't? Not so much that they hadn't seen it coming at all!

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MrsRobinsonsHandprints · 22/07/2024 07:53

Yes, on Friday I heard that an announcement would be made this weekend.

However it could easily be people just guessing on the basis of experience.

CroftonWillow · 22/07/2024 07:54

In politics the snowball effect is always irresistable.

AGodawfulsmallaffair · 22/07/2024 07:55

As soon as I heard he had Covid I was certain he’d be gone within the week, whether he really had it or not.

Zonder · 22/07/2024 07:55

We didn't know but we had all heard rumours from Preston and various other people. Maybe those same rumours weren't prevalent in the States which I find hard to believe or maybe people weren't taking them seriously, given how many rumours fly around.

ZenNudist · 22/07/2024 07:55

MrsRobinsonsHandprints · 22/07/2024 07:53

Yes, on Friday I heard that an announcement would be made this weekend.

However it could easily be people just guessing on the basis of experience.

I heard the same. Posts like "does Biden know he's going yet?" Made me laugh.

PuttingDownRoots · 22/07/2024 07:57

Confirmation bias.
Theres always rumours... a lot of time untrue. But when they are right people remember.

Zonder · 22/07/2024 08:01

PuttingDownRoots · 22/07/2024 07:57

Confirmation bias.
Theres always rumours... a lot of time untrue. But when they are right people remember.

Exactly. This is what I meant in my post by saying we didn't know.

NashvilleQueen · 22/07/2024 08:07

I think as with most political decisions they run a course. It starts as a relatively small thing but then there's a weight and momentum and it becomes inevitable.

I was convinced he would go at some point in the last week or so when there was a man on R4 who talked about Biden always being a senator at heart. He said that those around him were telling him that the democrats would lose control of the senate and that was likely to be the thing that got through to him.

Quitelikeit · 22/07/2024 08:10

Your problem is that you are believing Twitter

If we knew the White House knew!

Fizbosshoes · 22/07/2024 08:11

All the MN who's husbands are "high up" but outing to say what they do, probably knew before anyone else.
like when the queen died! 😃

FragileWookiee · 22/07/2024 08:20

When they said he had covid, I said to my husband that that's him done. So I wasn't surprised at all he has now stepped down. I'm shocked that he was allowed to continue for so long when he is clearly not up to the job.

Oldfatandfrumpy · 22/07/2024 08:48

It wasn't exactly hard to guess though? It just seemed very convenient that he got Covid, after multiple calls for him to step down

Original poster
noblegiraffe · 22/07/2024 09:26

Guessing he would stand down isn’t the same as knowing he would step down on Sunday.

I wish I could remember who I heard it from as it was so authoritative that I just expected it to happen, even as Biden put out messages saying he wasn’t a quitter.

OP posts:
Deserthog · 22/07/2024 09:50

I didn’t “know” but I also heard an announcement would be coming - think it was mentioned on here.

Could have been a coincidental rumour though.

NeverMindTheBackProblems · 22/07/2024 10:53

I don't understand the connection with him having covid and stepping down?

Zonder · 22/07/2024 12:07

NeverMindTheBackProblems · 22/07/2024 10:53

I don't understand the connection with him having covid and stepping down?

It did mean he had a convenient turning point - like now I've had COVID I am aware I am not as strong as I was and can now step down.

FinalCeleryScheme · 22/07/2024 12:14

I couldn’t see how he could stagger on for any longer. It was as plain as day that he was mentally unfit and physically ailing.

I didn’t hear any ‘leaks’ or ‘inside knowledge’ beforehand, but if I had heard them I’d have treated the information just as common sense dressed up to give the speaker or ‘source’ bogus importance.

FuzzyStripes · 22/07/2024 12:15

I didn’t know he would but I fully expected him to do so.

HRTQueen · 22/07/2024 12:24

I heard speculation reported on the radio this was based on the pressure being put on him to stand down

its not hard to guess it was going to be very soon but just a few days before there were real concerns he wasn’t going to step down

no one in the media knew for sure they could not risk this the party are in enough trouble as it is

KingscoteStaff · 22/07/2024 12:41

If I’d known, I’d have put a bet on it!

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