President Biden, appearing at an election watch party in Atlanta, Georgia on June 27, told campaign staff on Wednesday that he will stay in the race for president.
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
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Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
President Biden told his campaign staff on Wednesday that he will stay in the race, one of a series of closed-door conversations in which he has tried to reassure Democrats after last week’s disastrous debate that led to calls for his resignation.
Biden and Vice President Harris attended an all-staff meeting of the campaign, said a person on the call, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private meeting.
“I’m going to be in this race to the end and we’re going to win because when Democrats are united, we always win,” Biden said, according to the source.
Harris, who is seen as a front-runner if Biden drops out of the race, told staff: “We’re not going to back down. We’re going to follow the president’s lead,” the source said.
Separately, White House chief of staff Jeff Zients held an all-staff call with White House staff. He also acknowledged the difficult times and said it was important to focus on work and support each other, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.
Biden blames his debate performance on jet lag
Biden is under pressure from some in his own party to drop out of the presidential race after his hoarse voice and slurred speech during a debate with former President Donald Trump cost the Democrat support. rub hands together.
The White House blamed a cold and “a bad night.” Biden told donors on Tuesday that a grueling travel schedule across multiple time zones was to blame. He traveled to Europe twice in two weeks in June and also spent time at a fundraiser in Los Angeles.
Jean-Pierre said Biden spoke on Wednesday with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and also called Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, South Carolina Representative Jim Clyburn and Delaware Senator Chris Coons.
Later Wednesday, he will meet with more than 20 Democratic governors at the White House.
He will have a series of events in the coming days, including a trip to Wisconsin.
Biden spent last weekend trying to convince supporters he could still do the job, holding rallies and fundraisers.
This week, he has a series of events that will give the public more insight into whether the president can overcome the headlines surrounding his debate performance.
He plans to celebrate the Fourth of July with troops and their families on the National Mall. On Friday, he will campaign in Wisconsin and give an interview to ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos. And next week, he will host NATO leaders in Washington, where he will hold a separate press conference.
