Democratic governors are backing Joe Biden as the party’s candidate in the November presidential election after Democrats entered a “full blown panic” over the president’s declining polls after a catastrophic debate performance last week.
A group of governors on Wednesday met with the president behind closed doors at the White House as concern spreads across the party over Biden’s chances of winning in November. The president’s performance at last week’s debate against former President Donald Trump spiked skepticism over Biden’s cognitive ability to serve another four years, and polling has shown that he is trailing Trump by a wider margin since appearing on stage.
Biden has been defiant against calls for him to step aside in the 2024 race, and a source told CNN on Wednesday that first lady Jill Biden is “still committed to her husband” to remain on the ballot, the outlet reported.
Tasos Katopodis/Tasos Katopodis
According to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, chair of the Democratic Governors Association, the meeting with Biden was productive and described the conversation as “honest and open.”
“The governors have his back, and we’re working together, just to make very, very clear on that,” Walz told reporters outside the White House. “A path to victory in November is the number one priority, and that’s the number one priority of the president, so that’s what we’re trying to get done.”
But according to CNN political commentator Van Jones, for Democrats “behind the scenes, it’s full-scale panic.”
“People are passing around legal memos; PDFs are flying back and forth on What’s App trying to figure out what are the options,” Jones said Wednesday. “How can you replace Biden? How do you get him to do it in a way where he feels respected, as he should be respected? Who should Kamala Harris‘ vice president be?”
Jones continued: “We don’t have a crazy candidate, we have a great candidate. We have a beautiful man; we have someone who loves this country … but he may not be able to get across the finish line, and a mature party has to take that into account. And that is what’s happening.”
This is a developing story and will be updated as further information becomes available.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.