President Joe Biden plans to hold a video call with Democratic governors, likely on Wednesday, as he tries to ease growing concerns about his fitness for a second term after his devastating debate performance last week.
The details of that call are still being worked out, according to three sources familiar with the planning. One of the sources, a campaign representative for Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, said they had received word of a call that would likely take place Wednesday.
Biden’s campaign declined to comment.
The potential call comes a day after Democratic governors met by phone, according to two Democratic sources, to discuss the party’s path forward after the debate. The call with governors Monday afternoon, hosted by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, did not involve White House staffers or Biden’s campaign. Pritzker, who was instrumental in securing the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, was also on the call.
The governors expressed concerns about the president’s poor performance during the debates.
“There is no strategy that anyone is proposing and there is concern about what comes next. What is the president going to do to counteract the impression that the debate has left?” one of the sources said.
The source said everyone on the call still supports Biden’s campaign.
“What everyone needs is reassurance. No one said we have to go in a different direction,” this person said.
During Monday’s call, the governors indicated to Walz that they would like to have a call with Biden, which ultimately led to Wednesday’s expected call.
“Democratic governors have been among the most proactive and vocal supporters of the President and Vice President because they have seen how the Biden-Harris administration’s accomplishments directly benefit their residents,” another person familiar with the call with governors Monday said in a statement. “The Biden/Harris team is in constant communication with governors and their teams, including about yesterday’s meeting.”
Separately, White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients will hold an all-staff call at 12:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, according to a source familiar with the planning. Zients is expected to tell staffers to “weather the storm” and “keep their heads down.”
The call will include more junior aides, some of whom have said they are frustrated that no one is telling them anything. It’s meant to reinforce the message Zients gave to senior aides on Friday — a much smaller group of about 40 — when both he and Biden senior adviser Anita Dunn acknowledged the previous night’s debate and said there would be “always challenging days.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
