Democrat governors rally behind Biden, vow support despite worry
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Biden meets in Washington with the governors of Minnesota, Maryland, California, and New York to persuade the Democrats and the public that he is capable of leading the country.
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Maisy Biden, Naomi Biden, President Joe Biden, and First Lady Jill Biden walk to depart on Air Force One from Los Angeles International Airport, June 16, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP)
Leading Democratic governors spoke out to support US President Joe Biden on Wednesday amid increasing pressure to have him withdraw from the presidential race.
After a lackluster debate performance, Biden met behind closed doors in Washington with the governors, including Tim Walz of Minnesota, Wes Moore of Maryland, Gavin Newsom of California, and Kathy Hochul of New York, to persuade the Democrats and the public that he is capable of leading the country.
Almost twenty governors met with Biden for nearly an hour at the White House in person and virtually. Following the meeting, the governors told reporters that the discussion was "candid" but that they had concerns about Biden's performance in last week's debate.
They restated that the goal should be to beat Donald Trump in November but vowed to continue to support Biden, confirming that they would not be joining other Democrats in calling for him to drop out of the race.
“We, like many Americans, are worried,” Walz said, adding, “We are all looking for the path to win – all the governors agree with that. President Biden agrees with that. He has had our backs through Covid … the governors have his back. We’re working together just to make very, very clear that a path to victory in November is the No 1 priority and that’s the No 1 priority of the president … The feedback was good. The conversation was honest.”
“The president is our nominee. The president is our party leader,” added Moore, noting that Biden “was very clear that he’s in this to win it."
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“We were honest about the feedback we’re getting … and the concerns we’re hearing from people,” Moore continued. “We’re going to have his back … the results we’ve been able to see under this administration have been undeniable.”
Just a 'rough patch'
The meeting brought an end to a rough day for Biden, during which he faced criticism from both a major Democratic donor and members of his party on his suitability for the presidency. In addition to a third Congressman expressing "grave concerns" about Biden's chances, two Democratic members have called on Biden to withdraw already. Meanwhile, the White House shut down attempts to answer questions about his mental fitness.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday tried to play the debate's results off by saying it was "a bad night" but added that Biden "knows how to come back" from it as she brushed off questions by reporters about him needing a cognitive test.
On a call with staffers from his re-election campaign, Biden said, “Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can, as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running … no one’s pushing me out,” adding, “I’m not leaving. I’m in this race to the end and we’re going to win.”
It was reported that Vice President Kamala Harris told staffers on Wednesday, “We will not back down. We will follow our president’s lead”.
Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, one of several Democratic governors cited as possible replacements to Biden in the race, took to X after the meeting to say: “He is in it to win it and I support him."
.@JoeBiden is our nominee. He is in it to win it and I support him.
— Gretchen Whitmer (@gretchenwhitmer) July 4, 2024
California's Gavin Newsom said after the meeting, “I heard three words from the president tonight – he’s all in. And so am I.”
According to a poll conducted on Wednesday by Siena College and The New York Times, Trump now leads after the debate with 49% of likely voters, while Biden garnered 43%. In the poll, just 48% of Democrats thought Biden should stay the nominee.
On the other hand, former First Lady Michelle Obama is the only hypothetical candidate who could easily defeat Trump, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Tuesday, but she has previously declared she doesn't intend to run for office. Trump and Biden were deadlocked in that poll.
25 and counting
Democrats have been asking Biden to be open and honest about his mental health as he receives the first request to withdraw from the presidential race by his own party.
Following last week's televised debate on CNN with Trump, supporters have voiced growing worries about the 81-year-old's candidacy, derived from rising concerns about his age.
On Tuesday, Lloyd Doggett became the first Democratic US lawmaker to publicly urge Biden to withdraw from the race for the White House, citing the President's lackluster performance in last week's presidential debate.
"Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Biden's first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw. I respectfully call on him to do so," the Texas congressman said in a statement.
Meanwhile, former speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said it was "legitimate" to check if the disastrous debate was more of a deeper issue than a one-time thing, as Biden is due to be interviewed by ABC on Friday.
According to one House Democratic aide, 25 Democratic members of the House of Representatives are ready to call for Biden to step aside if his performance continues to falter in the coming days. Another House Democratic aide mentioned that moderate Democrats in competitive districts, often referred to as "frontliners", are facing intense scrutiny and questions from their constituents this week.
