United States President Joe Biden's family gathered at Camp David, urging him to stay in the race and continue fighting despite his poor debate performance. Some family members criticised his staff's preparation for the debate, news agency Associated Press (AP) reported citing four people familiar with the discussions.
Bident spent Sunday with First Lady Jill Biden, his children, and grandchildren, the report said. The trip to the presidential retreat in Maryland was planned for a photo shoot with Annie Leibovitz for the Upcoming Democratic National Convention. However, the gathering also aimed to address Democratic anxiety following Thursday's debate.
While his family acknowledged his poor performance against Donald Trump, they believed he was still the best candidate to defeat the Republican presumptive nominee, the AP reported. They also thought he was capable of serving another term as president, anonymous sources familiar with the discussions told AP.
Jill Biden and Hunter Biden were among the most vocal supporters. Both advised the President not to bow out despite the subpar performance. The family questioned his staff's preparation for the debate and wondered if improvements could have been made, the report said.
Since the debate, where Biden appeared raspy, trailed off, and gave convoluted answers, his campaign has worked to reassure donors and surrogates as Democrats questioned his candidacy. At this stage, Biden would need to decide to drop out for a new nominee to emerge. His wife and son advised him to stay in the race.
Even before the debate, Biden's age, 81, had been a concern for voters, and the debate reinforced these concerns before a large audience. CNN reported that over 51 million people watched the debate.
While Biden was with his family, prominent Democrats publicly supported his campaign on Sunday. Democratic Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, told the AP, "I do not believe that Joe Biden has a problem leading for the next four years. Joe Biden should continue to run on his record".
However, some Democrats were concerned that Biden's campaign and the Democratic National Committee were not adequately addressing the debate's impact. Former lowa Sen. Tom Harkin called the debate "a diaster from which Biden cannot recover" and suggested that Democratic senators ask Biden to release his delegates and step aside, the AP report said.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md, told AP, "Very honest, serious and rigorous conversations" within the party about their next steps. According to the report, DNC Chairman Jamie Harrison and Biden's campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, held a call with committee members, offering a positive outlook but not allowing questions. Some members felt their concerns were being ignored.
"There were a number of things that could have been said in addressing the situation. But we didn't get that. We were being gaslit," said Jow Salazar, a DNC member from Colorado, as reported by AP.