This is Democrats who want Biden out saying this, not Biden himself or his inner circle.

Before that: Happy Thursday! My eyes feel a bit better, if you're wondering.

Axios' Democrat "sources" -- and boy wow, does Axios have a lot of Democrat sources! -- claim they're confident that he will withdraw, possibly by this very weekend.

Several top Democrats privately tell us the rising pressure of party congressional leaders and close friends will persuade President Biden to decide to drop out of the presidential race, as soon as this weekend.

Why it matters: The 81-year-old president, now self-isolating with COVID, remains publicly dug in. But privately he's resigned to mounting pressure, bad polls, and untenable scrutiny making it impossible to continue his campaign, the Democrats tell us.

Behind the scenes: The private message, distilled to its bluntest form: The top leaders of his party, his friends and key donors believe he can't win, can't change public perceptions of his age and acuity, and can't deliver congressional majorities.

The president is being told that if he stays in, former President Trump could win in a landslide and wipe away Biden's legacy and Democrats' hopes in November.

State of play: The pressure to step aside as a candidate has been rising to intolerable levels, especially over the past few days.

Democrats fully expect polls after the Republican National Convention to show a possible blowout that could bring down Democrats in Congress, too.
"His choice is to be one of history's heroes, or to be sure of the fact that there'll never be a Biden presidential library," one of the president's close friends told us. "I pray that he does the right thing. He's headed that way."
Yesterday's AP poll, showing nearly two-thirds of Democrats want Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, ricocheted through the White House and Congress.

A panic pressure campaign is pounding Biden. It has been relentless -- and coordinated.

As you probably know, the scheming Iago Charles Schumer visited Biden at his home to tell Biden bluntly that he's going to lose, and make all downticket Democrats lose, and destroy democracy, and be remembered by history as a villain.

On the other hand, if he withdraws, he'll be praised as a hero. I'm sure there were some monetary opportunities for Huntie mentioned, too.

But Biden was apparently unmoved by these appeals.

On the other hand, Biden running to the basement after his "covid" diagnosis feels like the move of a man giving up.

What do you think?