President Joe Biden has faced a challenging week following a widely criticized debate performance against Donald Trump.
Critics pounced on what they characterized as a disastrous outing, questioning his stamina and readiness for the 2024 race.
Nonetheless, he and his campaign team are scrambling to bolster support after his disastrous performance.
The White House has announced a plan designed to push back against growing pressure for Biden to step aside in the 2024 race.
“We really want to turn the page on this,” White House Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, said.
She added that the President had no intention of stepping aside, describing his debate failings as simply evidence of “a bad night” when he had a cold.
At a Virginia campaign event, Biden blamed his weak debate on his international trips leading up to the event.
“I wasn’t very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple times, going through around 100 time zones … before … the debate. Didn’t listen to my staff and came back and nearly fell asleep on stage. That’s no excuse but it is an explanation.”
Joe Biden
Jean-Pierre said that Biden, who has not taken questions from reporters since the debate, would meet with top congressional leaders and would host a meeting with Democratic governors.
Biden also agreed to sit for an interview on Friday, July 5, 2024, with George Stephanopoulos that will air at least in part later that day. He has planned trips to Wisconsin on Friday and Philadelphia on Sunday.
He will also hold a press conference during the NATO summit in Washington next week.
Biden’s decision to engage directly with key stakeholders speaks volumes about his leadership style. Despite criticism, he has chosen to meet with congressional leaders and Democratic governors, demonstrating a proactive approach to rallying support and charting a path forward.
His upcoming interview and planned trips to Wisconsin and Philadelphia signal a commitment to engaging with voters and addressing their concerns firsthand.
It was anonymously disclosed that The White House was also holding an all-staff meeting on Wednesday, billed as a morale-booster following the debate and a chance for the senior team to keep the staff focused around governing.
The U.S President’s stepped-up schedule comes after a private discussion within Biden’s campaign about what can be done to counteract the damaging impression left by last week’s debate.
“We’re going to get out there, across the country. Americans are going to see him for themselves,” Jean-Pierre stated.
Biden’s decision to confront the fallout directly, rather than retreat, shows his resilience.
Biden Urged To Follow Lyndon Johnson’s Steps
Meanwhile, Lloyd Doggett, a congressman from Texas, became the first Democrat in the House of Representatives to publicly urge the President to step aside.
He urged Biden to follow the path of a previous Democratic president, Lyndon Johnson, and announce that he would not accept the party’s nomination as candidate – a potential move commentators have dubbed as an “LBJ moment” (after Johnson’s full initials).
“I represent the heart of a congressional district once represented by Lyndon Johnson. Under very different circumstances, he made the painful decision to withdraw. President Biden should do the same.”
Lloyd Doggett
Johnson withdrew from the 1968 election race amid a popular groundswell of opposition to the war in Vietnam and primary challengers in his own party, including from Robert F Kennedy, whose son is running as an independent candidate in the 2024 election and polling at levels that could further hurt Biden in a close race.
Doggett praised Biden’s legislative achievements in office but said the time had come to hand over to a younger generation, pointing out that he had pledged during the 2020 election campaign to be a transitional figure.
“While much of his work has been transformational, he pledged to be transitional,” he said.
“He has the opportunity to encourage a new generation of leaders from whom a nominee can be chosen to unite our country through an open, democratic process,” Doggett added.
According to a House Democratic aide, there are 25 Democratic members of the House of Representatives preparing to call for Biden to step aside.
Biden’s ability to weather the storm and emerge stronger remains to be seen.
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