Despite US President Joe Biden’s underwhelming performance in the recent debate, his family is compelling him to remain in contention and continue his struggle. There’s been disappointment in some familial circles regarding the preparation provided by his staff for the event, according to Sunday’s reports.
In an effort to ease concerns within the Democratic camp, Mr Biden gathered with his wife, children and grandchildren at Camp David, Maryland, for discussions. His family, despite recognising his subpar showing against former President Donald Trump, insists that he can still demonstrate his capability to lead the country for another term.
Mr Biden has also been seeking advice on how best to move forward, with his staff contemplating whether a press conference or an interview to rebut criticism could alter the narrative, though no final decision has been made.
A significant voice urging Mr Biden to fend off any calls to withdraw is his son, Hunter Biden, whom the president has traditionally relied upon for counsel, according to an informed source.
Other members of the family are exploring avenues to offer their support. In fact, one of Biden’s grandchildren has shown a keen interest in increasing their role within the campaign, possibly by engaging with influencers on social media, claimed the source.
Sunday saw an expression of Democratic dissatisfaction when top donor, John Morgan, publicly pointed fingers at the advisers who oversaw the president’s debate preparations, specifically mentioning Ron Klain, Anita Dunn and Bob Bauer by name. Morgan made a comparison in a subsequent interview suggesting it was like thrusting a prizefighter, who’d spent 15 hours in a sauna, into a title fight. He squarely placed the blame on Klain, Bauer and Dunn.
The president’s staff are also the topic of much focus for Biden’s family, particularly Ms Dunn, a key White House advisor, and Mr Bauer, the president’s personal lawyer, who represented Trump during debate practice.
The family members of Mr Biden were querying why Mr Klain, who had previously held the position of White House chief of staff and managed the pre-debate arrangements, appeared to have allowed Mr Biden to be bombarded with numerous figures. There was also resentment regarding his pale and wan appearance at the debate in Atlanta, given that he had initially arrived with a glow from the summer. This sentiment was echoed by an insider who has been interacting with several family members.
However, it was conveyed that Mr Biden, the president himself, was not upset and continued to place trust in his team which includes Mr Klain, Ms Dunn, Mr Bauer, among others. Contrasting views emerged from other Democrats, arguing that it was unjust to blame the staff for any errors on the part of the president. They dismissed these as ordinary blame shifting attempts, aimed at deflecting the blame away from the president.
Several Democrats highlighted that neither the family members nor the critics were part of the preparation process and thus lacked insight into how things unfolded. A confidant of Mr Biden mentioned that the debate’s results were universally disappointing, and people were naturally looking for someone to hold accountable.
Since the occurrence of the debate, Mr Biden has confessed both privately and publicly that his performance was subpar. He has been reaching out to trusted counsellors and notable figures within the party. However, according to two insiders, these calls were more about him checking to see what the conversation was, rather than asking for advice about his future.
A recent CBS News survey revealed a high demand among Democratic voters for Mr. Biden, aged 81, to step aside for a younger candidate. Less than half of the Democrats expressed a desire for a change in presidential candidate, to combat Mr Trump. However, only a quarter of the total electorate felt that Mr. Biden possessed the mental and cognitive capabilities required to serve as president, a drop from the previous figure of 35% before the debate. This story was first reported in The New York Times.