CNN commentator presses David Axelrod on Biden's forced campaign exit: 'Lot of dishonesty'

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David Axelrod pressed on Biden's campaign exit: 'Asking the country to overlook a lot of dishonesty'

Former Obama adviser David Axelrod was pressed to explain President Biden's sudden choice to withdraw from the presidential race.

Former Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod was pressed to explain how he could account for President Biden's sudden decision to withdraw from the presidential race.

"I think what you’re asking Republicans to do is to overlook a lot of dishonesty that came right out of this White House, that came right out of the vice president, people who work for him, his family, other Democrats, Democrats in Congress," CNN contributor Scott Jennings told Axelrod during a panel discussion Wednesday night.

"You‘re asking the country to overlook a lot of dishonesty about Joe Biden‘s abilities, capabilities, his capacity to serve for another four years and so on," he added.

Biden addressed the nation on Wednesday evening from the Oval Office for the first time since he officially dropped out of the 2024 presidential race, saying that he still intends to complete his term. 

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Former Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod was pressed on Wednesday to explain how he could account for President Biden's sudden choice to withdraw from the presidential race. (CNN)

Jennings said that Biden did not appear to decide to leave the race completely on his own volition, but instead arrived "at this decision with a little push, not just from the goodness of his own heart, but you have to admit, with a little bit of a push from the party bosses."

Axelrod argued that the "party bosses" were communicating the consensus of Democrats and American voters. 

"The party bosses were reflecting the consensus of the American people who made a judgment," Axelrod said. "But, Scott, there‘s so many Republicans who I talked to, who are overlooking far more than this, and they‘ll tell you that, about Donald Trump." 

"I mean, that is really the story of the Republican Party right now," Axelrod said, adding that the party "is in the thrall of a guy who is morally and ethically challenged and who left the presidency." 

"You‘re not on a strong footing here in making this argument," he said. 

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President Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday about his decision to drop his re-election bid. (Evan Vucci, Pool via AP)

Jennings responded that Biden's decision to leave the race was a "weird" one.

"I fully and freely admit that both parties have warts," he said. "But we're acting like there's no warts on this situation," Jennings said. "This is weird. [Biden] won the primary without a serious challenge. He told us all he could serve, his party told us he could serve. He's clearly diminished." 

"I think he ultimately arrived in the right spot," he said. "He ultimately got here. But it was pretty torturous how they got here and I think a lot of people burned a lot of credibility on the road to getting here." 

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The White House responded to a request for comment from Fox News Digital by sharing a previously reported letter from Biden's physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, explaining that the president is fit for duty.