Biden's authority is draining away in real time

• Joe Biden's reelection bid is looking less and less tenable.

• Top Democrats, including Barack Obama, are said to be encouraging him to give up.

• Biden's holding on, but each new voice weakens him further.

As former President Donald Trump was delivering his marathon speech at the RNC Thursday night, President Joe Biden was holed up in isolation, having been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Biden is still battling to save his candidacy after his disastrous debate with Trump last month — for weeks, he's insisted he's the only Democrat who can beat Trump and he won't be quitting.

But the pressure from friends and former allies to step down is getting more intense every day.

On Thursday, The Washington Post reported that former President Barack Obama had joined the chorus of voices who are questioning Biden's viability as a candidate.

It's a serious blow for Biden, who has long counted on the political support of his former boss, who remains among the most respected figures in the Democratic Party.

This comes after former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, another Biden friend and political ally, reportedly told Biden that if he doesn't stand aside, Democrats could lose any chance of gaining control of the House in November.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told Biden on a call Saturday that it'd be best if he dropped out, per reports.

With the most powerful Democrats in Congress and the party's beloved former president telling Biden to think again, his resolve to stay in the race may be draining away. And some congressional Democrats who've yet to speak out publicly are prepared to do so.

It's a painful moment for Democrats, as Biden appeared to be a far more viable candidate just weeks ago.

He was polling neck-and-neck with Trump, who had just suffered a blow after being found guilty on 34 felony charges in his New York hush-money trial.

But the June 27 debate, in which Biden repeatedly lost his train of thought and appeared confused, upended the campaign.

It reignited concerns that Biden, at 81, is too old to serve another term.

The failed assassination attempt on Trump at a Pennsylvania rally last Saturday has also galvanized Republican support for the former president.

Trump's vigorous response to the attack also provided a stark contrast to Biden, even though Trump is only a few years younger.

Many seem open to a different Democratic candidate.

An AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found that six out of 10 Democrats believe that Vice President Kamala Harris, who's considered the most likely replacement for Biden on the Democratic ticket, would make a good president.

Biden has so far shot down the calls to step aside, with the campaign dismissing reports that Obama's support is waning as "baseless" and insisting that Biden would remain the candidate.

An advisor told media outlets: "Joe Biden is his party's nominee. He's the president of the United States. He's running for reelection."

But The New York Times on Thursday reported what could be a shift.

Citing people close to Biden, the Times reported that he was beginning to acknowledge that he may not be able to win in November.

Some aides, though, were still arguing that he could stay in the race and win, per the Times.

NBC News reported that Biden feels angry and betrayed by Democrats turning against him.

As the weekend approaches, it appears likely that Joe Biden's attempts to rescue his reelection bid have reached a breaking point.

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