Biden Faces Long Odds, Needs 'Royal Flush' to Defeat Trump, Says Axelrod

Former Obama adviser David Axelrod warns that President Biden is trailing former President Trump in battleground states, raising questions about whether he should withdraw from the race.

Former Obama adviser David Axelrod has sounded the alarm on President Biden's dwindling chances of defeating former President Trump in the upcoming election, asserting that he needs a "royal flush" to pull off a victory.

Axelrod, who joined CNN on Friday, pointed to Biden's persistent deficit in key battleground states, citing both public polling and deeper analytical data. He noted that Biden's lead has evaporated and that he now trails Trump in all these crucial states, sometimes by a significant margin.

Biden Faces Long Odds, Needs 'Royal Flush' to Defeat Trump, Says Axelrod

"The president's been behind for 10 months, consistently in this data," Axelrod explained. "He is now behind in all the battleground states and in some cases, well behind, beyond the margin of error."

While acknowledging the possibility of an upset, Axelrod stressed that the odds are stacked against Biden. "Yes, of course he can win," he said. "Anyone can win. But given the stakes... the fact that he can win is not a persuasive argument. The question is: what are the odds that he would win, and would we have a better chance with someone else?"

Biden Faces Long Odds, Needs 'Royal Flush' to Defeat Trump, Says Axelrod

Axelrod attributed Biden's predicament to his unwillingness to confront his vulnerabilities and lack of a larger support network within his administration. "The president is pretty insulated," he said, referring to the limited number of advisers Biden trusts and heeds.

This isolation, Axelrod believes, has blinded Biden to the gravity of his situation. "Those were painfully obvious on that debate stage," he said, referring to Biden's widely criticized performance in the recent debate with Trump. "The president just... hasn't come to grips with it. He's not winning this race. He seems not to grasp what the big concern is that people have."

Biden Faces Long Odds, Needs 'Royal Flush' to Defeat Trump, Says Axelrod

Axelrod's assessment adds to a growing chorus of voices within the Democratic Party openly questioning Biden's ability to lead the country for four more years. Several high-profile figures, including former Clinton campaign manager Paul Begala and former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, have called for Biden to consider stepping down.

The Biden campaign has dismissed such suggestions, but the president's advanced age and apparent reluctance to address his deficiencies are fueling growing concerns among his supporters. Biden will turn 82 in November and is already the oldest president in American history.

While the election remains several months away, Axelrod's warning underscores the perilous position Biden finds himself in. Unless he can engineer a dramatic turnaround in the polls, the path to reelection will be an arduous and uncertain one.