The political journalist Mark Halperin, co-author of the best-selling book “Game Change,” reported on his webcast on Friday afternoon that top Democrats in the party, in the White House and on Capitol Hill believe that President Biden will have no choice but to step aside in the next few days, saying that the president’s wife and son, Jill and Hunter Biden, still want to fight, but that the family “will not stop the inexorable from happening.”

Referring to the president’s interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos today, Mr. Halperin said that “I’m told Hunter was basically the one preparing him for the ABC interview, not his communications or political staff.”

“They look at how he’s dealing with this crisis as passive and they look at it as indicative of his inability to do more,” Mr. Halperin said of the Democratic power brokers and donors who, he said, are watching with alarm

“The most important factor,” Mr. Halperin said, “is the Congress. Chuck Schumer, I’m told, has believed for quite some time that this is untenable.”

Mr. Halperin also said that he is told that strategists on the Democratic side believe that Vice President Harris is “not a perfect candidate,” but that “she will at least bring some energy to this.”

He added that he is told that strategists believe that Ms. Harris may not be as negative a drag on down ballot Democrats as Mr. Biden might be.

“As you all know, that’s what they’re more concerned about,” the pundit said. “They don’t think Joe Biden can win the White House.”

Mr. Halperin added that he believes that Ms. Harris will be the “largely unopposed” replacement for Mr. Biden and that he “strongly” assumes that Mr. Biden will stay on as the president through the end of his term.