President Joe Biden speaking at a press conference in Washington, DC (Photo: AFP/VNA)

His illness comes when former US President Donald Trump was officially selected as a Republican presidential nominee. So far, 20 Democratic US representatives and senators have publicly called on Biden to leave the race and demanded a new nominee. According to a recent survey by the Associated Press and the National Opinion Research Center, 65% of Democrats say Mr. Biden should withdraw and allow his party to select a new nominee.

The Democratic National Committee will meet this Friday to set in motion the steps and timeline for virtually nominating Biden ahead of the party’s national convention in Chicago next month. According to the committee, virtual voting will not start until after August 1 and the nomination process will not be fast-tracked.