Biden’s candidacy remains a discussion point for Walz, other Democratic governors
A meeting is planned for Wednesday.
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President Joe Biden’s struggling approval rating and his status as a 2024 candidate remain a hot topic among party officials, including the nation’s governors who held a private phone call Monday where the incumbent’s problems were discussed.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz convened the call of the party’s governors as head of the Democratic Governors Association, according to people familiar with it. A national Democratic official familiar with the call, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, stressed that the Biden campaign was aware of the meeting beforehand and “is in constant communication with the governors and their teams.”
The official said governors remain among the most vocal supporters of Biden and the work he’s done since his election in 2020. A contingent of governors, including Walz, are due to meet with Biden on Wednesday to discuss his path forward in a tough race with former Republican President Donald Trump.
Publicly, Walz has given no indication he would support any push to replace Biden as the party’s nominee.
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Touring a flooded area near Mankato on Tuesday, Walz clarified that the Democratic governors’ call was about multiple topics.
“Talk turned a little bit to what was obviously a poor performance in last Thursday’s debate and governors asking questions about what is the plan, how are you going to do this, how are you going to message this,” Walz recounted to Minnesota reporters.
“The conversation was about results do matter,” he said, trying to turn the focus back to disaster response and the administration’s quick efforts to aid states dealing with inclement weather.
At the White House, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden will do an extended interview with ABC News, continue meeting with top elected officials and take other steps to reassure the public about Biden’s capabilities.
“We understand the concerns, we get it,” she said. “He knows how to do the job and he knows how to do the job not just because he says it but because his record proves it.”
But Biden’s standing has been a focus in the wake of a debate performance that reinforced concerns about the president’s acuity and polling that has emerged that shows increasing worry by voters about his ability to serve a second term.
Before the debate, most polls showed Biden either tied with or lagging Trump in key states.
There is also worry among some party officials about how Biden could affect down-ballot races.
In Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District, the top U.S. House race in the state, Rep. Angie Craig said Tuesday that she has spoken with Biden campaign officials in recent days.
“I’ve let them know what I need to see from the president. I need to see him out everywhere talking unscripted, no teleprompter,” Craig said. “And he needs to make sure that the American people have confidence in his ability to run for reelection. And so that’s where I am.”
Craig said Biden needs to make sure the American people have confidence in his ability to do the job. She said last week’s debate between Biden and Trump was terrible because of Biden’s confusing answers and the frequent false statements from Trump.
“What I can tell you is the people in my district, what they wanted and what they still want, is not the two choices they have,” Craig said. “So we’re going to let this play out. But as far as I’m concerned, the president needs to be out there talking to everybody all the time.”
Biden plans to meet with Democratic governors and look to shore up support after shaky debate
Biden has invited all Democratic governors to meet on Wednesday, as he attempts to solidify support among his party’s top leaders after last week’s shaky debate performance.
The discussion is likely to be mostly virtual, according to two people familiar with Biden’s plan, who insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss a schedule that hasn't yet been made public.
The meeting comes after Democratic governors held their own call previously and asked Biden to speak with them, according to three people with knowledge of the president's schedule. Biden denounced the Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity on Monday night but had otherwise announced a largely politics-free and business-as-usual postdebate schedule — including planning to host July 4 celebrations at the White House for Thursday’s holiday.
The meeting is the strongest indication yet that Biden is attempting to calm fears among some Democrats, who worry he may not be up to continuing a campaign — much less defeat Donald Trump — following his sometimes raspy and halting performance during last week's debate in Atlanta.
Texas Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett called Tuesday for Biden to formally withdraw from the race, and that followed former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying on MSNBC that it is fair to ask whether Biden's debate showing was an anomaly or part of a larger pattern.
“I think it’s a legitimate question to say, is this an episode or is this a condition," Pelosi said.
There is also no indication that the president is seriously considering stepping aside.
His campaign has downplayed the president’s political problems in a series of memos and private meetings with donors, strategists and party insiders, insisting that Biden can put the bad debate performance behind him without hurting his long-term chances in November.