WASHINGTON – During a gathering at Camp David, President Joe Biden’s family encouraged him to remain in the presidential race and persevere despite his disappointing debate performance. According to sources familiar with the discussions, some family members voiced concerns over how his staff had prepared him for the faceoff.
Biden spent Sunday at the presidential retreat in Maryland with first lady Jill Biden, his children, and grandchildren. The gathering, initially scheduled for a photo shoot with Annie Leibovitz for the upcoming Democratic National Convention, also served as a strategy session to address mounting Democratic concerns following Thursday’s debate.
While acknowledging his lackluster performance against Donald Trump, Biden’s family continues to believe he is the strongest contender against the Republican presumptive nominee and capable of fulfilling the role of president for another four years. Sources, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss internal deliberations publicly, revealed that Jill Biden and son Hunter were particularly vocal. Both emphasized their belief that Biden should not withdraw from the race due to a single subpar showing, and they questioned the effectiveness of his debate preparation by staff.
In the aftermath of the debate, where Biden appeared hoarse and at times struggled with responses, his campaign has been actively engaging donors and surrogates to maintain support amidst growing doubts about his candidacy.
At this critical juncture in the delegate selection process, Biden would likely need to decide to withdraw for the Democratic Party to consider a new nominee. Those closest to him, especially his wife and son, are advising him to stay committed.
Even before the debate, Biden’s age, 81, had been a concern among voters, and the televised debate seemed to underscore public apprehensions before what could be one of the most crucial election cycles. CNN reported a viewership of over 51 million for the debate.
While Biden deliberated with his family, prominent Democrats publicly rallied to reaffirm their support for his campaign on Sunday.
“I firmly believe Joe Biden is more than capable of leading for the next four years,” asserted a close ally, Democratic Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina. "He should continue to campaign on his record.”
Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Georgia Democrat and Baptist minister, drew a parallel between Biden’s debate performance and delivering a less-than-perfect sermon.
“But after the sermon, it was my duty to embody the message, to stand up for the people I serve. And that’s exactly what Joe Biden has done throughout his life,” Warnock affirmed. His sentiment echoed the views of other supporters who acknowledged Biden’s debate stumble but emphasized his lifetime of service and leadership.
Warnock, alongside Clyburn and others, redirected focus to Trump’s falsehoods during the debate, many of which went unchecked by Biden and the moderators, including claims about the Capitol attack, immigration policies, and the 2020 election outcome.
“Every time Trump spoke, it seemed he was lying,” Warnock criticized.
Yet, some Democrats expressed concern that Biden’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee were not sufficiently addressing the debate’s impact.
Former Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, who served alongside Biden for over two decades, characterized the debate as “a disaster from which Biden cannot recover.”
Harkin suggested that Democratic senators facing critical races, and potentially all incumbent Democratic Senators, should unite in asking Biden to release his delegates and step aside for the convention to select a new candidate, according to an email obtained by The Associated Press. This was first mentioned in Iowa journalist Julie Gammack’s column on Saturday, Iowa Potluck.
“At this critical time, the well-being of the country is more important than Joe Biden’s personal ambitions,” Harkin concluded.
