President Joe Biden, facing rising concerns over his age and cognitive fitness, addressed a gathering of Democratic governors to assert his health and reaffirm his commitment to the 2024 presidential race. This meeting, held on Wednesday evening, comes in the wake of a faltering debate performance that left many allies worried about his viability as a candidate.
During the hour-long meeting with over 20 Democratic governors, Biden revealed that he had undergone a medical checkup following last week's debate. According to Politico, the checkup was prompted by lingering cold symptoms and did not involve any major tests. This disclosure was reportedly made in response to a direct question from one of the state leaders regarding the president's physical condition.
The 81-year-old president's debate performance had been marred by a raspy voice, frequent misspeaking, and moments of lost train of thought, exacerbating fears about his ability to handle the demands of another term in office. Biden attributed his poor showing to both a cold and jet lag from recent international travel.
Despite these reassurances, Biden's health remains a topic of intense speculation. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, earlier in the day, refused to confirm whether Biden had been evaluated by medical professionals since the debate. "The president has regular annual physicals that we release in a thorough report," Jean-Pierre stated, adding, "We're going to continue to do that."
In a bid to rally support and quell internal dissent, Biden emphasized his commitment to the campaign. "I am running. I'm the nominee of the Democratic Party. No one's pushing me out. I'm not leaving," Biden declared during a phone call with campaign staff earlier in the week.
Following the meeting, several governors expressed their support for Biden. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer tweeted, "@JoeBiden is our nominee. He is in it to win it and I support him." New York Governor Kathy Hochul echoed this sentiment, stating, "All of the state heads in the meeting pledged our support to him because the stakes could not be higher."
However, privately, some staffers and Democratic leaders remain uneasy about Biden's prospects. "They got through today, but it's still very unclear where this goes," one staffer with direct knowledge of the meeting told Politico.
The president's efforts to reassure his party included a Zoom call with campaign and Democratic National Committee staff, where he reiterated, "No one's pushing me out." Biden is also scheduled to appear in an interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC News' World News Tonight, a critical opportunity for him to regain his footing and address concerns directly with the American public.
The debate performance has led to calls from some Democratic leaders and donors for Biden to consider stepping aside. Democratic Representative Lloyd Doggett of Texas urged Biden to withdraw from the race, drawing parallels to Lyndon Johnson's decision not to seek re-election. Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix and a significant donor to Biden's 2020 campaign, also suggested that Biden should step down in favor of a more vigorous Democratic leader capable of defeating Trump.
Amidst this internal party debate, Vice President Kamala Harris has been identified as a likely successor should Biden choose to withdraw. Harris, who has been described as "the future of the party" by Jean-Pierre, has remained a prominent figure in the administration and is seen as a strong candidate to carry forward Biden's campaign should the need arise.
