The Democrats' dwindling confidence can make USA's President Joe Biden reassess his presidential election campaign. However, the decision can only be made by him himself.
Biden must make an assessment of whether his position is so undermined that he does not believe he can win the election, says USA expert Dag Blanck.
Joe Biden is heavily pressured by his own party. About a dozen congress members are demanding that he step down from the presidential election campaign to let someone else take on the fight against Donald Trump.
But despite several heavyweight Democrats wanting to oust Biden, it is only he himself who can make a decision about a potential withdrawal.
If the entire Biden party demands his resignation, it will naturally have an effect. But there is no system that says that if 14 congress members demand his resignation, then he must step down, says Dag Blanck, professor of North American Studies at Uppsala University.
Overwhelming Majority
Formally, the decision on who becomes the Democratic presidential candidate is made at the party convention in August. If Biden chooses to run, he will most likely be elected, as he has an overwhelming majority of delegates behind him.
If Biden chooses to step aside, he can either ask the delegates to vote for a successor he himself has chosen - or leave the field open.
That a sitting president is challenged within the party is very unusual, says Dag Blanck.
If you go to the election as a divided party, or if you have had a bitter struggle, then it becomes difficult to win. Often, you rally around your candidate.
Challenged Internally
Prior to the 1980 election, the then-president, Democrat Jimmy Carter, was challenged by Senator Edward Kennedy. That year, Republican Ronald Reagan won.
One reason may have been that he was challenged internally, says Dag Blanck.
The Democratic Party Congress will be held in Chicago on August 19-22.
