How the Democrats finally ousted Joe Biden

The attempted assassination of Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday July 13 sucked all oxygen out of the story around Mr Biden.

For several days, the idea of unseating the president seemed to violate the mood of conciliation that had temporarily descended on the wider political class.

But on Wednesday, the hiatus ended. Mr Schiff publicly called on Mr Biden to “pass on the torch”, declaring the nation to be “at a crossroads”. 

If that had been all, it might not have been so bad. But there were to be two further bombshells. Late in the evening, ABC reported that Chuck Schumer, Senate majority leader, one of the most important Democrats in the country, had been to visit Mr Biden at his Delaware beach house on the previous Saturday in order to tell him that he should quit.

Politico later reported that he had been accompanied by Hakeem Jeffries, House minority leader.  Neither explicitly denied it.

On Wednesday, it also became known that Ms Pelosi had had a direct conversation with Mr Biden “within the last week”, during which she had reportedly discussed the negative polls with him, telling him that he could not beat Trump and that his continuity candidacy would harm the chances of Democratic candidates for the House and Senate in November.

Her office indicated the call had taken place before the weekend. Had she called in advance in order to soften Mr Biden up before the big beasts arrived from Congress?