Joe Biden’s family on Sunday encouraged him to continue on his 2024 re-election campaign despite fears from Democrats following his debate performance last week.
First lady Jill Biden, son Hunter Biden and their grandchildren all were at Camp David on Sunday, a previously scheduled trip according to a White House official. The family expressed their frustration with the team who helped President Biden prepared for last week’s debate, where he shocked many by his poor performance.
There is no immediate expectation that Biden will fire any of his top staff, which includes Ron Klain, Anita Dunn, and Bob Bauer.
“The aides who prepped the President have been with him for years, often decades, seeing him through victories and challenges. He maintains strong confidence in them,” Biden campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz said in a statement.
Biden and his campaign have faced a series of calls for the President to drop out after Thursday’s CNN presidential debate. While Biden is expected to stay in the race, that could change if he feels him remaining on the ticket would drag down the Democrats in the fall.
Biden’s age has been a key reason for his poll going down for months. The public concerns are made worse by deceptively edited videos, some of which have gone viral, making it appear as if Biden is wandering or confused.
Biden himself acknowledged he had a poor performance during the CNN debate at a campaign rally in North Carolina on Friday.
“I know I’m not a young man. 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 what I do know — I know how to tell the truth!” a highly energetic Biden said.
“When you get knocked down, you get back up,” Biden yelled. “I intend to win this state in November,” he added. “We win here, we win the election.”
