President Joe Biden unexpectedly joined a Zoom call with campaign staff and Democratic National Committee officials on Wednesday, taking another step toward preserving the viability of his embattled candidacy, according to two people who participated in the call.
Amid reports that Biden has privately admitted to allies that his candidacy is in jeopardy, the president has said he is in the race for the long haul. He did, however, acknowledge that the days since last week’s debate with former President Donald Trump have been damaging, according to two people who participated in the call and spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.
“Let me say this as clearly as I can — as simply and directly as I can: I’m in … nobody’s pushing me out. I’m not running. I’m in this race to the end and we’re going to win,” Biden said during the call.
Biden’s decisiveness and determination, especially compared to how he came across during last week’s debate, were as reassuring as what he said to several attendees, who discussed the call afterward via text message.
Vice President Kamala Harris, who has become increasingly popular in recent days as Democrats take her more seriously as a possible replacement presidential nominee, sat next to Biden on the video call.
“We will not back down,” Harris said. “We will follow the example of our president. We will fight and we will win.”
The president thanked everyone who worked on his campaign and reminded them what was at stake. “There’s no one I’d rather be in this fight with than all of you,” Biden said. “So let’s join forces. Let’s get this done. You, me, the vice president. Together.”
Biden’s campaign has spent the past few days trying to convince aides, donors and allies that the president’s campaign is not doomed after his disastrous debate performance. The president joined that conversation on Wednesday amid reports of plummeting staff morale at the White House and his campaign headquarters in Wilmington. He held a phone call with top Democrats in Congress earlier Wednesday and was also scheduled to meet with Democratic governors in the evening, some of whom traveled from across the country to attend the event in person rather than virtually.
While most Democrats still publicly support him, there are some cracks in Biden’s support. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) called on Biden to withdraw from the race on Tuesday, and Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), a key ally of the president, said in an interview with MSNBC that he would support Harris if Biden steps aside.
Biden’s inner circle and the president himself are aware of the extraordinarily high stakes at stake in the coming days, according to three people familiar with the internal discussions but not authorized to discuss them publicly.
But many Democrats have been frustrated that Biden hasn’t been more visible or active in the days since the debate, and question whether he truly appreciates the sudden precariousness of his campaign or is capable of a more persuasive response. At Wednesday’s briefing, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dismissed those concerns, suggesting that Biden’s speech in North Carolina on Friday, where he acknowledged his age and shaky record, was sufficient.
“He did handle it,” she said. “He looked it straight in the eye.”
In conversations with family members and close aides, there has been no talk of abandoning the re-election campaign, the three people said. But Biden and his inner circle understand that the coming week must go well. Among the key moments on the horizon: campaign appearances in the swing states of Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and, most importantly, an ABC interview scheduled for Friday.
While some Democratic lawmakers and aides are calling for him to step aside, Biden and his senior team believe a strong stretch could save them. If things go badly, they believe, the campaign could be further jeopardized, the three people said.
Biden has told several confidants that he knows those moments will be crucial in trying to fend off further calls to end his reelection bid, according to two of the people familiar with internal discussions. Congressional Democrats, many of whom have had private conversations about when to publicly call on Biden to end his campaign, are currently on recess but are scheduled to return to Washington next week.
Small differences are also beginning to emerge within Biden’s family, two of the people said. First lady Jill Biden and the president’s son, Hunter Biden, are determined to continue the campaign. Biden’s sister, Valerie, is also supportive but has been more concerned about the toll it could take on her brother’s health and legacy, the people said.
Also on Wednesday afternoon, Chief of Staff Jeff Zients held a call with White House staffers, urging them to ignore the “chatter” and “noise,” according to a recording shared with POLITICO. Zients argued that “the president has been written off countless times,” but that he “has always held up.”
Some staffers had grumbled in recent days that the president’s senior team had not held such a conversation earlier. Zients said in a speech to staff that he wants to hear from everyone in the building if they have concerns or feedback.
Minutes after Biden and Zients wrapped up their conversations, The New York Times and Siena College released their long-awaited post-debate poll, showing Trump now with a 49 percent lead over Biden, compared to 43 percent among likely voters nationwide. That’s a three percentage point shift from before the debate.