CNN commentator and political analyst Van Jones revealed that Democrats are privately discussing how best to replace President Biden with just months to go before November.
"I'm going to be honest," Jones said Wednesday on CNN. "Everybody comes on the air and says all this great stuff, but behind the scenes, it's full-scale panic."
Biden met with Democratic governors from across the country on Wednesday evening to build support in the aftermath of his weak debate showing against former President Trump.
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But outside the confines of the White House, Democrats are planning how to move forward in the campaign without Biden, Jones suggested.
"People are passing around legal memos, PDFs are flying back and forth on WhatsApp trying to figure out what the options are," he said.
"How can you replace Biden?" he said. "How do you get him to do it in a way where he feels respected, as he should be respected?"
"The conversation on air and the conversation off-air are completely different," Jones said.
The commentator, who once served as an adviser to former President Obama, defended Biden but said that it was still necessary to replace him.
"We have a great candidate," Jones said. "We have a beautiful man. We have someone who loves this country. We have someone who has given his all — I mean his all to the last drop for this country — but he may not be able to get across the finish line. And a mature party has to take that into account."
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Jones acknowledged that some Democrats are pushing for Biden to "make his own choice" whether he wants to step down or not. But the commentator said that the conversations he is privy to do not leave the final decision up to Biden.
"There is a big conversation happening right now about how this happens, not whether," Jones said of another Democratic candidate replacing Biden. He signaled that the replacement might be Vice President Kamala Harris.
Multiple current and former House Democrats are signaling they would back VP Harris as his successor if the 81-year-old leader chooses to step aside.
Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., a member of the House's progressive "Squad," pointed to Harris as the "obvious choice" for Biden's successor. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., a longtime Biden ally, said that he would support Harris as the nominee if Biden chooses to withdraw from the race.
The Biden campaign did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Fox News' Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
