Biden steps up post-debate damage control as Democratic panic grows

Publicly, Joe Biden did very little on Wednesday, but behind the scenes, the president was working overtime to address growing concerns among Democrats about his 2024 reelection bid.

Following a dismal performance at the first debate with former President Donald Trump last week, Biden spent the next four days campaigning in North Carolina and New York before huddling with family at Camp David, where he reiterated his conviction to stay in the race despite calls for him to step aside.

Biden returned to the White House late Monday evening as his team attempted to convince Democratic donors, lawmakers, operatives, and voters that Biden remains the only candidate who can effectively take on Trump in November, as opposed to Vice President Kamala Harris or any number of younger Democratic politicians waiting in the wings.

Still, Biden shifted more of that responsibility to himself beginning on Tuesday evening at a fundraiser in Virginia. The president told donors there that his performance was simply a “bad night” compounded by lingering jet lag from an international trip that ended 12 days before the debate.

Biden also made two calls to senior Democratic lawmakers, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE). Those calls continued Wednesday morning and saw the president reiterate his commitment to running to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY); Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), a top Biden ally; and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).

The president additionally recorded two interviews with black radio stations that will air Thursday morning, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

Biden concluded his day by holding a closed-door meeting with all but one of the nation’s 23 Democratic governors, which saw 10 governors attend in person.

Govs. Tim Walz (D-MN), Wes Moore (D-MD), and Kathy Hochul (D-NY) spoke to the press following the meeting, confirming that Biden would stay in the race and that Democratic governors “have his back.”

“Obviously, we, like many Americans, are worried. We’re worried because the threat of a Trump presidency is not theoretical,” Walz, the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, stated. “We are all looking for a path to win. All the governors agree with that. President Biden agrees with that.”

Biden’s campaign published a readout of the meeting shortly after its conclusion, claiming that “all participants reiterated their shared commitment to do everything possible to make sure President Biden and Vice President Harris beat Donald Trump in November.”

Both Govs. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) were floated in recent days as potential successors to Biden but attended Wednesday’s meeting in person.

Neither spoke to the press but said in respective statements that they remain committed to Biden as the nominee.

“I heard three words from the President — he’s all in. And so am I. Joe Biden’s had our back. Now it’s time to have his,” Newsom wrote.

“Joe Biden is our nominee. He is in it to win it, and I support him,” Whitmer added.

In terms of keeping his campaign staff in line, Biden and Harris both joined an all-staff call hosted by the Democratic National Committee and Biden-Harris campaign in which he declared that he would see the race through to its end.

“Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can, as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running,” he told staffers on the call. “No one is pushing me out.”

White House chief of staff Jeff Zients held a similar call with White House staff earlier in the day, stressing the need to tune out the “noise,” continue taking pride in the administration’s accomplishments, and remain united as a team behind Biden.

Still, Biden faces a major uphill battle if he hopes to erase his performance at the first debate from voters’ minds ahead of November. More House Democrats expressed reservations about his candidacy as the day went on Wednesday, though he largely kept back a full-fledged revolt on Capitol Hill.

Reporters pressed the White House on why the president had not released additional medical records following Thursday’s debate to try to prove that Biden’s performance was truly a “bad night” and not an indication of a more worrying trend, yet White House officials have not committed to making such records public.

“I’m telling you. He did not get — did not get checked out by the doctor. It’s a cold,” Jean-Pierre said when asked about transparency regarding Biden’s health on Wednesday. “It’s cold, and I know that it affects everybody differently. We’ve all had colds.”

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Biden has seen his stock drop significantly with voters over the past week.

Internal polling from Biden’s campaign saw him slipping in every battleground state following Thursday’s debacle. Meanwhile, a poll published Wednesday by the New York Times and Siena College showed Trump opening up a 6-point advantage nationally over the president, marking Trump’s largest lead of the cycle.