Election 2024: Top Democrats’ Private Call Sparks Anger Over Biden’s Debate Performance
Increased Concern within Democratic Ranks
Following a lackluster performance in the week’s debate, there is a mounting concern within the upper echelons of the Democratic party. Leaders of Joe Biden’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) have been criticized for not acknowledging the profound impact of the President’s poor debate showing.
Chairman of the DNC, Jaime Harrison, and Biden’s campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, organized a call with several influential party members across the United States. The discussion largely ignored Biden’s weak performance and the subsequent flood of criticism. Several of the participants found the dismissal of the gravity of the party’s situation concerning with some feeling as though they were being gaslighted.
Demands for Biden to Step Aside
With concerns escalating, numerous donors, party strategists, and DNC members have begun voicing their views both publicly and privately. They are advocating for Biden, now 81, to step aside, allowing the party to nominate a younger candidate at the Democratic National Convention in August.
Despite these pleas, Biden’s closest allies maintain that he is ready to challenge Republican Donald Trump and have shown no indication that they may encourage him to terminate his campaign. Prominent figures believed to be able to replace Biden, such as Vice President Kamala Harris, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, renewed their backing for Biden after the debate.
First Post-Debate Polls
There is a heightened anticipation for the first significant round of post-debate public polling. Polls conducted immediately after the debate by CNN and 538/Ipsos found that most spectators felt Trump had outperformed Biden. However, both men’s favorability ratings did not see any substantial change.
Reactions within the Democratic Party
In the days following the debate, Biden and his team attempted to display confidence even though the President’s deficiencies were visible on the national stage. After the DNC call, the Biden campaign published a memo from senior advisor Jen O’Malley Dillon insisting that the debate did not have a measurable effect on the election.
Meanwhile, Biden spent a large portion of his Saturday appealing to wealthy donors in New York’s famed Hamptons. During one of these gatherings, Biden admitted to not having “a great night” but also countered that Trump had not fared any better.
During the DNC call, Harrison echoed Biden’s sentiments and offered an in-depth assessment of the President’s future in the campaign. The call covered various topics, including Biden’s appearance in North Carolina the day after the debate and a fundraising surge that brought in more than $27 million from the day of the debate to Friday evening.
Despite the ongoing discussions, there is a growing recognition that the 2024 presidential contest may not be as straightforward as initially believed due to Biden’s debate performance. As a result, the Democratic Party’s next steps remain closely watched.
