Joe Biden Warned by Chuck Schumer He Could 'Go Down in American History as One of the Darkest Figures' If He Lost 2024 Election: Report

Senator Chuck Schumer warned President Joe Biden his legacy could be at stake if he didn't drop out of the presidential election, according to a new report.

Shortly after Biden, 82, faced criticism for performing poorly against Donald Trump, 78, in a June 2024 debate — which sparked renewed concerns for his physical and cognitive health — former POTUS Barack Obama, 63, spoke with Schumer about encouraging him to end his campaign.

Obama reportedly told the former Senate Majority Leader, 74, that he was the wrong "messenger" for the conversation as he had a "fragile relationship" with Biden, noting Schumer may "be a better one."

The report claimed that on July 13, 2024, the Democratic senator took the plunge and told Biden he only had around a 5 percent chance of winning the election following the debate.

"If you run and you lose to Trump, and we lose the Senate, and we don’t get back the House, that 50 years of amazing, beautiful work goes out the window," Schumer said, per a report written by Annie Karni and Luke Broadwater of The New York Times. "But worse — you go down in American history as one of the darkest figures."

On July 21, 2024, Biden suspended his campaign and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, 60, to take his place.

"It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President," he said at the time. "And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand out and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term."

"My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made," he shared on X later that same day. "Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this."

Harris campaigned all over the U.S. for the next three and a half months, speaking out on her plans to help strengthen small businesses, boost the middle class and her desire to protect and expand reproductive rights. However, the lack of campaign time did not do her any favors.

Trump, 78, announced his win in the early morning hours of November 6, 2024. This led some to criticize Biden for not stepping down earlier, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 84.

"Because the president endorsed Kamala Harris immediately, that really made it almost impossible to have a primary at that time," she said at the time. "If it had been much earlier, it would have been different."