Joe Biden's decision to drop out surprised many. His defiance for weeks seemed unshakeable, and even top campaign officials were reportedly unaware that a decision had be made until the final minutes before his letter was posted to X/Twitter.

The question on everyone's mind is, of course, how did it happen? Did Biden have an epiphany? Did he look at polling data before bravely and selflessly deciding to call it quits? 

Not. Even. Close.

Sources have informed the New York Post that top Democratic Party operatives threatened to forcibly remove Joe Biden from office if he didn't voluntarily drop out of the race.

The well-orchestrated “palace coup” to stop the faltering president seeking re-election has been in place for weeks, but stubborn Biden fought against it every step of the way, a source close to the Biden family told The Post Monday.

The insider also made clear the anger, paranoia and frustration Biden displayed as the party elite circled around him and piled on the pressure.

Part of the “elaborate” strategy to remove Biden from the race – as he announced in a shock letter posted on X Sunday – was allowing him to debate Republican candidate Donald Trump last month on live TV in Atlanta.

During the car crash 90-minute debate, Biden appeared confused, slack-jawed and at one point he froze up, with his shocking performance turning the tide against him.

“That debate was a set-up to convince Democrats that he couldn’t run for president,” the family source said Monday.

As calls for him to bow out mounted, Biden insisted he would continue, but party bigwigs threatened to invoke the 25th Amendment to the US Constitution. 

The amendment allows for the vice president and members of the cabinet to declare he is unfit to serve and force him to step down, the source added. [emphasis added]

Despite Biden's immediate endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential candidate, there are still some holdouts who haven't endorsed Harris as Biden's successor, potentially setting the stage for a bitter convention battle. The Democratic National Convention is now less than a month away, and there are only four months until Election Day. 

Related: Joe Biden Wasn’t Brave, Selfless, or Patriotic for Dropping Out

If Democratic Party operatives were willing to blackmail Joe Biden by invoking the 25th Amendment to remove him from office, that speaks volumes about how they perceive his ability to continue serving as president. They wouldn't threaten to do so if they didn't believe such a move would be seen as legitimate by the public. Biden's team clearly knew it would succeed as well and relented, and staying on as president was Biden's consolation prize.

According to the source, Democratic Party insiders have been aware of Biden’s decline for at least two years.

“When I saw him a couple of years ago, it was frightening,” the source said. “He was just repeating slogans and had no idea who I was.”

This is further proof that we are in the middle of a constitutional crisis. Joe Biden isn't fit for office, and Democrats know it. 

Related: Democrat Civil War Watch: What Pelosi Really Thinks About Kamala Harris