But increasingly, what top Democrats appear to be saying is: Maybe he should.

The shift in tone is subtle, but it’s telling. These Democrats have increasingly treated this as a real possibility in ways you avoid if the name of the game is to batten down the hatches and stand by your man. And this is not coming from pundits, editorial boards or backbenchers; it’s coming from party graybeards and potential leaders.

In the aftermath of Thursday’s debate performance from Biden, former House speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) defended him. “We see Joe Biden up close; we know how attuned he is to the issues, how informed he is,” she said Sunday on CNN. She added: “It was a bad night. Let’s move on from that.”

But on Tuesday, Pelosi called it a “legitimate question to say is [Biden’s debate performance] an episode or is this a condition” — saying the same of Donald Trump, for good measure — and suggested this was a conversation Democrats needed to have.

“This is not a normal election where you want to win — if you don’t, you cooperate and do the best you can for the country and hope to win the next time,” Pelosi said on MSNBC. “This is something that is undermining our democracy. [Trump] must be stopped. He cannot be president. Therefore, people are very concerned.”

Pelosi added: “It’s going to be up to Joe Biden to do what he thinks is — there’s no more patriotic person in our country than this president of the United States. Nobody less than the former president. But Joe Biden — and so I trust his judgment.”

Rep. James E. Clyburn (R-S.C.), who until recently served as the No. 3 House Democratic leader, went even further in entertaining the scenario.

“Now, Joe Biden may decide otherwise [and drop out],” Clyburn said on MSNBC. “But I think the people that I’ve been around the last three days are dug in, in their support for Joe Biden.”

Clyburn even added that, should Biden drop out, the party should go with Vice President Harris as its replacement.

“I will support her if he were to step aside,” Clyburn said, while emphasizing he wants a Biden-Harris ticket. He added: “No, this party should not, in any way, do anything to work around Miss Harris. We should do everything we can to bolster her, whether she’s in second place or at the top of the ticket.”

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D), one of those speculated on as a possible replacement, went on CNN on Tuesday night and also treated this as an open question.

“Well, Joe Biden is our nominee, and ultimately that decision on continuing or not will fall to him and his family,” Beshear said. “But I don’t think that there’s anything wrong with asking the president to talk to the American people a little bit more about his health or that debate performance.”

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D), another talked-about presidential contender, also seemed to choose his words carefully Tuesday night on CNN.

“Look, right now, Joe Biden is our nominee,” Pritzker said. “And I’m 100 percent on board with supporting him as our nominee, unless he makes some other decision. And then I think we’re all going to be discussing what’s the best way forward.”

Pritzker even entertained alternatives like Harris, asserting that they could have broad appeal.

“I know there are people in the party that want people to just be quiet,” he said. “But the truth is I think people need to express themselves. We’re a party that accepts that. And I’m pleased about that. And then, we’ll come to a conclusion here. Joe Biden will come to a conclusion about it.”

He added: “Right now, unless he makes some other decision, discussing what’s the best way forward, Joe Biden will come to a conclusion about it.”

These are not the kinds of things you say if this isn’t something you want Biden to at least think about. And they are a marked contrast to the Biden campaign’s line that this just isn’t a consideration at all.

These Democrats are careful to caveat their comments by citing Trump and saying they stand by and support Biden if he stays. But these experienced politicians know those comments will only feed questions about whether Biden can or should continue. You don’t entertain those questions unless you think it’s a vital conversation, because the conversation itself could damage Biden by elevating these concerns.

At least for now, they’re keeping that conversation going. And the Biden campaign’s efforts to tamp it down aren’t working.

We are at a critical point in our country’s history. It is not a time to think about which party or which tribe you belong to, but rather what is most important for the future of our country and our children.

On Tuesday, I called for President Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential election.

The entire country was left stunned during and after last Thursday’s debate. The indelible images and sound bites from that evening will remain with us, repeated in campaign ad after campaign ad, and make it impossible for Biden to win his election. It left people in my district feeling sick to their stomachs. Biden has had fewer and fewer press appearances as his term has proceeded, raising questions about his abilities, and raising fears from the public that our president’s staff has been lying to us about his capabilities.

This decision to speak out is not a referendum on Biden’s accomplishments, nor how good of a person the president is, but rather what the best options for our country should be. I have always said we are going to do the right thing, for the right reasons, in the right way.

There are a lot of people who support Donald Trump, especially in my district, and many of the grievances the former president raises in his campaign ring true for many Americans. However, we need a serious, positive, solutions-based approach to the very serious issues our communities face. In my mind, anyone who spends time quibbling about his golf handicap instead of answering questions about how to make life better for all Americans should be disqualified from the presidency. It’s time for a new generation of leaders to take the reins.

For years, Republican insiders have privately expressed grave concerns about Trump yet sing his praises publicly. It is frustrating to see that this public-private dichotomy is not a single-party phenomenon but rather is one of the most telling aspects of why people don’t trust either party. This is the furthest thing from bipartisanship that the country wants to see.

Biden ran in 2020 as a transitional leader for the next generation. When he announced a reelection campaign in 2023, I publicly commented that I was one of the 75 percent of the people in the country that was not happy with a rematch. Both parties have deep benches. For the good of our country, it is time we showcase them.

This is President Biden’s moment — and his biggest test. He should put personal ambition aside, and then stand up and announce he will withdraw from consideration. The deep Democratic bench should work to nominate a younger slate. We can then join together to focus on the problems and solutions that are most important to our country.

We must focus on lowering the costs of gas, groceries and health care; securing the border and creating a pathway to citizenship for longtime law-abiding residents; and protecting the rights of women and eliminating government-mandated pregnancies. These are real and pressing problems for Americans and new leadership is needed.