It’s been a week since Joe Biden’s disturbing debate performance. While he continues to insist he won’t drop out of the 2024 race, the president faces a tough challenge convincing some within his own party that he still has what it takes to beat former President Trump in November.
Biden met with Democratic governors on Wednesday, and many top leaders are openly backing him. But two Democratic members of Congress have called on the president to withdraw, as has one of the party’s biggest donors. Here’s a look at where things stand and what’s ahead.
🗳️ Trump falsely claims Biden is ‘leaving the race’
The Daily Beast obtained a video showing Trump sitting in a golf cart and bragging about his performance during the debate.
“I have [Biden] from the [race] and that means we have Kamala,” he said, though Biden insisted he has no plans to step aside. “Look at that old, broken pile of shit.”
“Can you imagine that guy with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin? And the president of China — he’s a fierce person,” Trump said, referring to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
In the video, Trump also called Harris “pathetic.”
Trump allies have stepped up public attacks on Harris amid speculation she could be the top choice to replace Biden on the ticket. Privately, the Trump campaign is reportedly reveling in the chaos. “Chaos is our friend,” a Trump source told CNN.
On Thursday, Biden assured supporters that he plans to stay in the race. “Nobody is pushing me out,” the 81-year-old president said Wednesday during the call with campaign staff and Democratic National Committee officials. “I’m not leaving.”
🏛️ Closed meeting with Democratic governors
During a private meeting Wednesday night with more than two dozen Democratic governors, Biden and Harris attempted to assuage concerns about the president’s health and viability.
“The president has always supported us. We will support him,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore told reporters after the hour-long meeting. Moore said the governors had been candid in the negative feedback they received from their constituents about Biden’s performance at the June 27 debate. “The president … he’s our nominee. The president is our party leader,” Moore said.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul insisted Biden is “going out to win,” while Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he believes Biden is fit for office before attacking Trump. “Of course, like many Americans, we are a little concerned,” Walz said. “We are concerned because the threat of a Trump presidency is not theoretical.”
Only three of the 24 governors who attended the meeting — Hochul, Moore and Walz — spoke to the media after the meeting. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a rumored Biden replacement, attended the meeting in person. Afterward, he offered support on X, formerly Twitter.
I heard three words from the president tonight: he’s all in. And so am I.@JoeBidenhas supported us. Now it is time to support him.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 4, 2024
Read more: Yahoo News/YouGov poll finds 60% of Americans say Biden is unfit for another term, leaving 2024 battle with Trump too close to predict
Politico reported that Biden acknowledged during the meeting that he had sought medical attention after last week’s debate. That disclosure appeared to contradict what White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Wednesday when asked whether Biden had undergone medical tests since February.
“We were able to talk to his doctor about it and that’s a no,” she replied.
On Thursday, White House spokesman Andrew Bates told CNN that “the president was seen to check for a cold and he was recovering well.”
🗣️Democrats of Congress begin calling on Biden to withdraw
Multiple reports claim that several Democrats in the House of Representatives are privately considering whether to ask Biden to withdraw from the 2024 election. So far, only two Democratic lawmakers have done so publicly. Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas was the first, saying in a statement that he “hopes” Biden “will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw.”
“While much of his work has been transformational, he has promised to be transitional,” Doggett said. “He has the opportunity to foster a new generation of leaders from which a nominee can be chosen to unite our country through an open, democratic process.”
On Thursday, Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona became the second Democratic officeholder to follow suit.
“If he is the candidate, I will support him, but I think this is an opportunity to look elsewhere,” Grijalva told The New York Times. “What [Biden] What he needs to do is take responsibility for keeping that seat – and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race.”
While several leading Democrats have openly expressed concern about Biden remaining in the race, they have not called on him to withdraw.
💰 Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings wants Biden to ‘step aside’
The Netflix co-founder is one of the first Democratic megadonors to release a statement calling on the president to withdraw from the race.
“Biden must step aside so a strong Democratic leader can defeat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous,” he told the New York Times in an email.
Privately, many major donors say they are concerned about whether Biden has what it takes to defeat Trump on November 5.
“There is significant erosion under the chosen [officials] and donors,” Biden’s donor adviser Dmitry Mehlhorn told The Washington Post.
📺 High-stakes interviews after debate ‘mistake’
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in an interview this week that Biden needed to interview “serious journalists” to restore public confidence in his leadership.
On Thursday, a pre-recorded radio interview with Biden aired by Milwaukee host Earl Ingram, in which the president addressed his performance during the debate. “I had a bad night,” he said. “And the fact is, I blew it. I made a mistake.”
Biden continued to insist he was “going to win this election” and repeated last week’s message: “If you get knocked down, you get back up.”
A much bigger test comes on Friday, when Biden sits down for an interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos. Though the network had originally planned to air the interview on Sunday, it announced Thursday that it was moving that date forward. It will now air Friday, July 5 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
Biden reportedly told allies he knows the next few days are crucial to his reelection campaign. The president’s annual Fourth of July party at the White House will go ahead as planned on Thursday. He will travel to Wisconsin on Friday.
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Biden tells allies he knows he has just days to save his candidacy. “Biden has stressed that he remains deeply committed to the fight for re-election, but he understands that his viability as a candidate is at stake.” [The New York Times]
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The Biden family is fully committed to holding the 2024 presidential election, a source said. “The first lady is all for it. The family is all for it.” [CNN]
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Who could replace Biden as the Democratic nominee? “Here’s the not-so-short list of hypothetical Biden replacements — along with how they rank among voters in a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll.” [Yahoo News]
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As Biden’s team suggests, there is no alternative. The DNC rules provide a way out if Biden withdraws. ““Joe Biden will be the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee,” the talking points read.” [NBC News]
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Democratic Governors to President Biden: ‘The Road to Victory is Priority Number One.’ “But while several governors said afterwards that they “support him,” they also stressed that their main goal is to find a “path to victory.” [USA Today]
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Trump allies are stepping up attacks on Harris as talks over Biden’s replacement progress. “The Trump campaign and his Republican allies appear to be laying the groundwork for an all-out attack on Harris.” [Reuters]
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‘KHive’ and ‘coconut-pilled’: Kamala Harris sees a sudden social media renaissance. “X named ‘Kamala’ one of the trending topics in politics with about 188,000 posts, many of which offered a mix of genuine support and ironic bewilderment.” [NBC News]
