Image source, Getty Images
- Author, Tom Geoghegan
- Role, BBC News
President Joe Biden has received fresh support from his family, who have urged him to continue in the Democratic presidential race and ignore calls for him to step down after his disastrous debate against Republican candidate Donald Trump.
The family’s decision came after Biden spent Sunday with relatives at a presidential retreat at Camp David, where they encouraged him to keep fighting, according to CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.
Some Democrats were left feeling anxious after Trump’s choppy and sometimes incoherent performance in the debate in Atlanta.
Since the debate, concerns have grown about Biden’s age, who is 81, according to recent polls.
A CBS News/YouGov poll released Sunday indicated that 72 percent of registered Democratic voters believe the president does not have the mental and cognitive health to serve as president.
More than half of voters agreed that Biden should step down and leave the election.
But on the contrary, the message from his family and his electoral team was that his continued competition was the best hope for Democrats to defeat Trump.
The family gathering at Camp David, Maryland, was not primarily to discuss the election. Rather, the Bidens gathered for a family photo shoot with celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz, with Biden’s wife, Jill, children and grandchildren in attendance.
“We’re not going to let those 90 minutes end his four years as president,” Jill Biden told Vogue in a phone call from Camp David. They’ll keep fighting, she said, adding that her husband “will always do what’s best for the country.”
The New York Times first reported the family’s decision to continue running, and CBS News later confirmed it.
Some of Biden’s relatives reportedly blamed his aides for his poor performance, citing over-preparation for the debate, but Biden’s wife was not among those criticizing his team, a person close to the family told CBS.
Concerns about the candidates’ age were present before Thursday’s debate, especially since Biden is only three years older than Trump, who is 78.
But Biden’s weak voice and slurred answers have renewed concerns about his candidacy and prompted some to call for him to step aside.
“The greatest public service he could perform now would be to announce that he will not run for re-election,” the New York Times editorial board said in an opinion piece.
Trump has also been criticized for his performance, making a number of false assertions including his years-long grievance that the 2020 election was stolen from him.
On Sunday, top Democrats appeared on the morning shows to defend the president. “When you get knocked down, you get back up and fight harder,” said Sen. Chris Coons.
But Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin has floated the idea that Mr Biden might not be the presidential nominee at the Democratic convention in August, when a presidential nominee is decided upon.
“Whether he is the nominee or someone else, Biden will be the keynote speaker at our convention,” Raskin said. “He will be the figure around whom we rally to move forward.”
On the other side, Republicans said the debate showed why Trump was the right choice to get their nomination.
“Joe Biden has had a disastrous performance, which is why they are talking about replacing him,” Republican Sen. J.D. Vance said on Fox News on Sunday.
If Biden drops out of the race, the Democratic Party could begin searching for a new nominee in time for the convention, but it’s not a smooth, straightforward process.
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