WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden continued to debate damage control during a Friday night interview on ABC News, working to persuade Democrats that he is the best candidate to defeat former President Donald Trump this fall.
But behind the scenes, the interview did little to calm the fears of Hill Democrats, who worry that Biden’s debate performance will leave his candidacy irreparable.
In the hours after Biden gave a 22-minute interview with ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos, more than a half-dozen Democrats in Congress described Biden’s political situation in stark terms, including “heartbroken,” “doomed.” and “f—- -g disaster.”
On Saturday morning, Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., became the latest Democrat and first front-line member to call on Biden to “step aside for the next generation of leadership.”
Separately, a Democratic lawmaker who previously supported Biden told NBC News they will break their silence on his political future “soon.”
“I was sad,” the lawmaker said of Biden’s interview. “Completely out of touch with reality and isolated from the truth.”
A senior aide to another front-line Democrat in Congress said there have been concrete discussions about top Democrats expressing their concerns directly to the president in a public letter. Congress was not in session last week and those members decided to wait until they were together in D.C., the aide told NBC News.
“Frontline workers are all upset and are personally ready to pull the trigger to ask Biden to step aside, but politically they are less afraid,” said the aide, who was granted anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations.
One House Democrat predicted there will be more calls for Biden to step aside in the coming days.
“Denial of the problem is not a solution or a way to convince our voters that he has the capacity or vision for another four years,” said the legislator.
And another lawmaker lamented Biden’s refusal to drop out of the race.
“We are desperate to protect our democracy and we really want him to have the grace that comes with defeating Trump in 2020 and deciding to pass the baton,” the House Democrat said.
During Friday’s interview, Biden was asked several times whether he had taken a cognitive test or whether he would be willing to take an assessment and release the results. Each time he hesitated, arguing that he takes tests every day, pointing to his presidential responsibilities.
His refusal to take a test “is a problem,” a House Democrat argued.
“Opinions are strengthening in many quarters that action is needed and that action is a different candidate,” a longtime House Democrat said after Biden’s interview. The lawmaker said that while the interview was not enough to make a judgment about Biden, it is instructive in combination with public appearances.
When reached for comment, the Biden campaign characterized the interview as demonstrating that the president is capable of answering difficult questions. The campaign also pointed out the president explaining how he sees the choice this November.
At the same time, many Democrats who were considered future presidential candidates also closed ranks around Biden before the debate, reiterating their support for the president. These high-profile politicians include governors. Gavin Newsom of California, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Wes Moore of Maryland.
The chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Representative Nanette Barragán, also said she sees no concerns about Biden.
“He clearly understands the questions and topics and responds accordingly,” she said. “It’s a difficult interview and I think he handled it well.”
This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com read the full story
