Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., acknowledged on Sunday that the Democratic Party is engaged in “very honest, and serious and rigorous conversations” about President Joe Biden’s future following his lackluster performance at the presidential debate on Thursday. Raskin’s comments mark a departure from the public defense most top Democrats have offered, where they have admitted Biden had a “bad” debate but argued it doesn’t disqualify him from running for president.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., echoed this sentiment on MSNBC’s “The Weekend,” stating, “I’ve been very clear that it was an underwhelming performance on Thursday, during the debate, as President Biden and his campaign have acknowledged. It certainly was a setback. But of course, I believe a setback is nothing more than a setup for a comeback.”
However, behind closed doors, top Democrats are reportedly concerned about Biden’s campaign. NBC News reported on Saturday that several lawmakers believe it might be time to replace Biden as the nominee. One unnamed lawmaker even suggested it’s “time to talk about an open convention and a new Democratic nominee,” though none have publicly attached their names to these remarks.
Raskin, in an interview with MSNBC’s Ali Velshi on Sunday morning, emphasized the gravity of the discussions taking place. “We’re having a serious conversation about what to do,” he said. “One thing I can tell you is that regardless of what President Biden decides, our party is going to be unified, and our party also needs him at the very center of our deliberations in our campaign, and so whether he’s the candidate or someone else is the candidate.”
Biden’s senior adviser Anita Dunn stated on MSNBC’s “The Weekend” that Biden has not discussed dropping out of the race with his aides. “The president’s going to continue to be out there. And he’s going to make his case for why Donald Trump is a threat to this country, and why there is a better path ahead for Americans,” Dunn said.
Biden spent the weekend at Camp David with his family, a trip planned ahead of the debate, to discuss the future of his campaign. This follows a tumultuous week and a dismal debate performance that has raised alarms within the party.
Rep. Jamie Raskin reiterated the complexity of the situation during his appearance on MSNBC’s “Velshi.” “Obviously, there was a big problem with Joe Biden’s debate performance, and there is also just a tremendous reservoir of affection and love for Joe Biden in our party,” Raskin said. “So, this makes it a difficult situation for everybody, but there are very honest and serious and rigorous conversations taking place at every level of our party because it is a political party, and we have differences in point of view.”
Raskin contrasted the Democratic Party’s internal dialogue with the Republican Party’s handling of former President Donald Trump’s criminal conviction on 34 counts. “I mean, if you compare that to the nonexistent dialogue and conversation that took place in the Republican party after Donald Trump’s criminal conviction on 34 counts, it’s remarkable,” Raskin said.
Despite the internal discussions, Raskin assured that the Democratic Party would be united at their upcoming Democratic National Convention. “One thing I can tell you is that regardless of what President Biden decides, our party is going to be unified, and our party also needs him at the very center of our deliberations in our campaign,” Raskin said. “So, whether he’s the candidate or someone else is the candidate, he is going to be the keynote speaker at our convention. He will be the figure that we rally around to move forward and beat the forces of authoritarianism and reaction in the country.”
Biden’s debate performance has been widely acknowledged as a significant blow to his reelection campaign, with many raising concerns that he legitimized Republican attacks claiming the 81-year-old is too old and frail to be president. One unnamed House Democrat described it as a “f—— disaster.”
While many Democrats acknowledged the debate did not go well for Biden, most have maintained that he should stay in the race. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., insisted on ABC News’ “This Week” that Biden is the only candidate who can beat Trump in November. “The stakes of this race couldn’t be higher, and the only Democrat who’s ever beaten Donald Trump is Joe Biden. He is our candidate for November, and he has the best shot to beat him,” Coons said.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also expressed optimism, stating, “But of course, I believe that a setback is nothing more than a setup for a comeback,” he said on MSNBC’s “The Weekend.” “And the reality is, Joe Biden has confronted and had to come back from tragedy, trials, from tribulations throughout his entire life.”
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., took a similar stance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” emphasizing Biden’s accomplishments over the years. “It’s not about performance in terms of a debate, it’s about performance in a presidency,” she told Dana Bash.
At a rally in North Carolina on Friday, Biden admitted he performed poorly at the debate but defended his decision to stay in the race. “Folks, I don’t walk as easy as I used to. I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used to, but … I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong, and I know how to do this job,” he told the crowd. “I know, like millions of Americans know, when you get knocked down, you get back up.”
A senior campaign aide told ABC News that the president is “absolutely” not considering dropping out of the race.
Source: NBC News, Fox News
