WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden had the kind of weekend where history turns – trying to stabilize his campaign after a disastrous and demoralizing debate against former President Donald Trumpand then met with the family, as previously planned, at a secluded mountain retreat, where they discussed the path forward.
The 81-year-old Democrat entered the Thursday night debate hoping to banish questions about his advanced age. But his meandering and sometimes incoherent responses only generated new fears that Democrats were stumbling toward a brutal defeat in the November election and led to rumors that he should drop out of the race.
The weekend had a frantic urgency, with Biden promising donors he would simply be “fighting more.” The Democratic National Committee hosted a conference call with party leaders that was so upbeat in tone that left some supporters feeling discouraged. Major media outlets, such as The New York Times and The New Yorker, publicly called for Biden to withdraw.
Biden cleanup effort
Biden and his team spent the weekend characterizing his debate performance as atypical, arguing that one bad night should neither define him nor jeopardize the election.
After a Friday rally in North Carolina it is a two LGBTQ+ events in New York City, Biden spent part of Saturday in the posh, gated Long Island resort town of East Hampton for a campaign rally and fundraiser.
Biden acknowledged he didn’t have a “great night” at the debate, but said Trump’s falsehoods and reminders about the Jan. 6, 2001, insurrection resonated most with undecided voters.
“I wouldn’t be running again if I didn’t believe with all my heart and soul that I can do this job,” Biden told donors in East Hampton. “I know I don’t walk as easily as I used to, I don’t speak as well as I used to, I don’t debate as well as I used to. But here’s what I also know: I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong. I know how to do this job.
Biden made a similar proposal on Saturday at the home of New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. First lady Jill Biden was by his side most of the day, their hands tightly clasped as they walked between the presidential helicopter and Air Force One.
Camp David with family
It was nearly midnight when Biden’s motorcade pulled up to Camp David on Saturday, as thunderstorms erupted in the area. He spent Sunday and Monday at presidential retreat with his family for a previously scheduled photo shoot with Annie Leibovitz for the upcoming Democratic National Convention.
But Biden’s status in the race was inevitably a topic of conversation. His family urged him to remain in the race, according to four people familiar with the discussions who insisted on anonymity. Among the most vocal: Jill Biden and his son, Hunter Biden.
The family still felt that Biden was the best Democrat to run against Trump and that he could still fulfill the president’s responsibilities for another four years.
Saturday Tough Call
The Democratic National Committee and Biden campaign manager Julie Chávez Rodriguez called a conference call Saturday afternoon aimed at reassuring party leaders. But several people on the call, most granted anonymity to discuss details, left with a greater sense of panic. It seemed to them that Biden’s team was ignoring how difficult his chances now were, with just four months to go before the election.
Allies defend Biden, but Democrats worry
Democratic leaders tried to repair the damage but were divided over how to do so, airing their ideas on Sunday TV shows.
Longtime ally Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-South Carolina, said Biden was the victim of “preparation overload” for the debate and that “I don’t believe Joe Biden has a problem leading over the next four years.”
But Representative Jamie Raskin, Democrat of Maryland, said Biden’s performance has sparked debate within the party.
“It makes the situation difficult for everyone, but there are very honest, serious and rigorous conversations taking place at all levels of our party because it is a political party and we have differences of view,” Raskin said.
Business as usual?
Biden’s public schedule for next week gave no hint of how the debate altered the political landscape.
He was scheduled to return to Washington from Camp David on Monday night. On Tuesday, he would receive a briefing and make remarks about extreme weather conditions, and would later hold a campaign reception. On Wednesday, he will hold a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House. And on Thursday, Biden and his wife will host an Independence Day barbecue on the South Lawn of the White House for military personnel and their families.
