President Joe Biden attends an event on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Washington, July 11, 2024. Insiders who were close to Joe Biden's struggles are describing a president who was dogged in his determination to keep his candidacy alive, but ultimately not in denial about the odds. A number of firsthand observers of Biden's crisis say he was privately contemplative during his days of decision, before announcing Sunday, July 21, that he was quitting the presidential race. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)