FARAAN: American media reported that concerns are growing among top Democratic ranks about the impact of Joe Biden’s criticized performance in the first debate with Donald Trump. Campaign officials of the current U.S. president have not taken this concern very seriously and have warned that his withdrawal from the electoral competition will lead to weeks of turmoil.
Associated Press reported today that Jimmy Harrison, head of the Democratic National Committee, and Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Biden’s campaign manager, spoke by phone yesterday afternoon with dozens of committee members across America, largely dismissing Biden’s weak performance in the recent debate and the subsequent flood of criticism.
According to several anonymous committee members cited by the American outlet, they were instructed to overlook the serious state of the party. They said this contact may have intensified widespread anxiety among party officials, financial supporters, and other stakeholders.
Many financial backers, strategists, and top-tier Democratic members have openly and privately expressed a desire for 81-year-old Biden to step aside so the party can select a younger replacement at the upcoming Democratic National Convention scheduled for mid-summer. However, Biden’s closest allies insist he remains well-positioned to compete against Donald Trump and have not tried to force him to end his election campaign.
Vice President Kamala Harris, Governor Gavin Newsom of California, and Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, who are best positioned to replace Biden, have also voiced their support for him following the debate and have joined former U.S. Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.
Many Democrats anxiously await the release of post-debate poll results and the determination of their next steps. Meanwhile, Biden met yesterday in the affluent Hamptons area of New York with several wealthy Democratic supporters. Regarding the debate, he said: “Neither I had a good night nor did Trump.”
Meanwhile, ABC News reported that Joe Biden’s campaign hours ago issued a fundraising call warning his supporters that the current president’s withdrawal from the race “will lead to weeks of turmoil” and weaken his final replacement against Trump. Rob Flaherty, Biden’s deputy campaign manager, argued in an email that Biden’s withdrawal “is the best possible way to ensure Donald Trump’s victory and our defeat.”
Poll results from Morning Consult show that 60% of participants believe Biden should be replaced “definitely” or “probably” after the debate with Trump. Among them, only 21% said Biden should “by no means” step aside. According to Morning Consult findings, 57% of participants in this poll said Trump performed better than Biden, including 19% of Democrats, 60% of independents, and 93% of Republicans.
