President Biden is facing concerns about his re-election viability after a disastrous debate performance last week. He has reportedly told a key ally that he understands he may not be able to salvage his candidacy if he cannot convince the public in the coming days that he is up for the job. Despite still being deeply in the fight for re-election, Biden recognizes the importance of his upcoming appearances, including an interview with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News and campaign stops in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The ally emphasized that if Biden has two more events like the debate, the situation may change drastically.
White House spokesman Andrew Bates denied the claims made by the ally, calling them “absolutely false.” However, concerns about Biden’s ability to recover after the disastrous debate performance are mounting, with questions on his viability as a candidate and his capacity to serve as president for another four years. A top adviser to Biden acknowledged that the president is well aware of the political challenge he faces, but White House officials did not immediately respond to the situation.
Campaign officials are closely monitoring polls, recognizing that bad numbers could worsen the crisis. A recent CBS News poll showed former President Donald J. Trump leading Biden nationally since the debate, raising additional concerns. Biden is reaching out to Democratic elected officials and has a meeting scheduled with Democratic governors at the White House. He is also continuing to seek advice from trusted individuals and has expressed openness to the possibility that his plans to shift focus back to his challenger, Trump, may not be successful.
Despite the challenges Biden is facing, several allies have emphasized that he is still in the fight of his political life and sees this as an opportunity to come back from being counted out, much like he has done throughout his long career. However, he is realistic about the uphill battle he faces to convince voters, donors, and the political class that his debate performance was an anomaly. As he consults with his family and advisers since the debate, Biden is carefully considering his next steps in the campaign and working to regain the trust of the public.
