Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker will join a group of Democratic governors meeting with President Joe Biden Wednesday to discuss his reelection campaign.
A spokesperson for the governor’s office confirmed Pritzker was attending the meeting in Washington D.C. At least 20 Democratic governors were expected to attend the meeting, some in person and others virtually.
Biden has been talking to top legislators, pumping up his campaign staff and meeting with governors before a planned weekend blitz of travel and a network TV interview.
But there have been signs that support for Biden was rapidly eroding among Democrats on Capitol Hill, amid growing pressure from Democrats to withdraw after a disastrous debate performance raised questions about his readiness.
In an ominous sign for the president, a leading ally publicly suggested a way that the party might choose someone else.
Still, asked whether Biden would consider stepping down, White House press secretary Karine Jean Pierre said “absolutely not.”
“He understands it is fair for people to ask that question.” she said, while adding, “I cannot lay out something that would change the president’s mind” about seeking a second term.
The meeting with governors comes one day after Pritzker appeared on CNN to discuss Biden’s candidacy.
In the televised interview Tuesday night, Pritzker remarked that he wanted to “hear more” from Biden as the campaign enters the final 120 days until the November presidential election.
“I think it’s important for the president to talk to, not just the leaders of the Democratic Party across the board, but generally, the nation. And so I’d like to hear more from him and I think that he intends to do more of that,” Pritzker said.
Pritzker clarified that he was still supporting Biden in his run for reelection.
“I think that there’s a healthy discussion going on within the Democratic Party. We’re not a cult, like the MAGA Republicans. We tolerate dissent and we think it’s good for democracy to have this conversation,” Pritzker said. “My word is my bond. You know, I honor my commitments. Joe Biden is going to be our nominee, unless he decides otherwise.”
Pritzker went on to praise Biden for what he sees as his impact to Illinois.
“He’s been terrific for my state. Remember, he rescued us from, well, an insurrection and then from an economy that could have cratered, and of course from a health crisis that lost so many people under Donald Trump,” Pritzker said. “He’s done a lot to revive American manufacturing, and in my state, you know, we’ve seen jobs and companies coming back to the United States and to Illinois.”
However, when asked if he agreed with polls that indicate voters prefer a nominee other than Biden, Pritzker referenced his wish for the president to be more communicative.
“Well, I think that’s why President Biden needs to communicate more. We haven’t heard a lot from him since the debate, and that’s why the polls look as they do. I think that when you come off a bad debate, you need to remind people why you’re the right guy to elect,” Pritzker said.
Pritzker added that he expects Biden to fulfill that obligation as a candidate.
“I know that Joe Biden will do that over the next couple of weeks, at least I expect him to, or he’ll make a different decision.”
Pritzker said he had not heard from any Democratic governors who were wishing for Biden to drop out following last week’s debate and also said he had not heard from the president since the debate.
“I have not heard any of the governors express that, you know, he’s not the right guy. It’s just that I think there are questions that got raised by that debate, and hopefully that’s just a one-off situation that the President can rectify by letting everybody know, once again, all the things that he’s done for working families across America,” Pritzker said.
Chicago is slated to host the Democratic National Convention from Aug. 19-22. Biden is set to officially be nominated as the party’s nominee for the November election, though a decision on that could be made sooner.