Biden Tries to RECOVER from DEBATE FALLOUT

Biden ‘TUNES OUT’ the Noise

As senior aides rush to minimize the political damage from President Biden’s dismal debate performance, White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients reportedly called an all-staff meeting on Wednesday to encourage team members to shut out the “noise” and focus on the business of governing.

 

The chief of staff emphasized to White House aides the achievements and record of the Democratic administration, even as Zients acknowledged that the days following the Atlanta matchup between Biden and former President Trump had been difficult. Zients also stated that governing will only become more important once the campaign season heats up, particularly after the Fourth of July holiday, The Associated Press reported, citing a White House official.

 

A second White House official and others with knowledge of the conversations told the AP that Biden himself started conducting personal outreach on his own, having private conversations with prominent Democratic lawmakers like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, and South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn.

 

As a result of Biden’s tardiness in contacting prominent Democrats and regular members, there is growing unease on Capitol Hill, according to the AP, which cited sources familiar with ongoing discussions.

Leading Democratic lawmakers expressed their indignation to Axios on Biden’s tardiness in contacting the party’s leadership in recent days, in addition to the rank-and-file candidates who are up against tough campaigns this year. The members, who remained anonymous in the Axios article, were especially critical of Biden’s evasion, arguing that it may hurt Democrats’ chances of winning the House or retaining their Senate majority in November if he handled the fallout from the debate poorly rather than the debate itself.

 

Democrats are dissatisfied with both Biden and White House staff’s justifications for his debate performance. Additionally, other Democrats are even more irate, believing that Biden should have dealt with issue far sooner and that by continuing in the campaign, he has put them in a tough situation.

 

By pointing out that the president had a “strong campaign team” in place and that the White House’s responsibility was to continue advancing Biden’s agenda, Zients attempted to bolster the staff’s confidence in Biden’s re-election machinery. Additionally, he informed the crew that despite being written off during his decades in public service, Biden has always persevered through difficult circumstances.

According to the individual who talked with the AP, the chief of staff also urged assistants to “continue being a team” to “tune it out” and maintain discipline despite the growing political discourse. The official could remain anonymous in order to communicate Zients’s personal comments. Zients also encouraged White House employees to provide comments and raise questions.