Biden campaign urges staff to tune out speculation

President Biden’s campaign chair, Jen O’Malley Dillon, convened an all-staff call on Friday, urging staffers to ignore news coverage suggesting Biden might be replaced as the Democratic nominee. According to a recording of the call obtained by Axios, Dillon emphasized the importance of focusing on the campaign’s mission despite the president’s recent debate performance and COVID-19 diagnosis.

Morale boosting amidst speculation

The call highlighted efforts by Biden campaign leadership to boost staff morale following the debate. “Don’t watch cable news all the time,” Dillon told staff at the campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC). “That is not the real world. The real world is the voters that are standing with us, the delegates that are with us, and we’re going to weather this because of this organization.” She reaffirmed that Biden is committed to the race and intends to win. “I talked to him this morning – he sounds like sh*t because he’s not feeling that well,” Dillon said, referring to Biden’s recent COVID diagnosis. “But he is doing the work, and he is focused on what you guys are doing.”

Internal and external pressures

Dillon acknowledged the internal and external pressures facing the campaign. “The people that the president is hearing from are saying: ‘stay in this race and keep going and keep fighting, and we need you,'” she said. “Those voices will never be as loud as the people on TV, but remember that the people in our country are not watching cable news. They just aren’t.”

Despite Dillon’s reassurances, some Democratic lawmakers, donors, and staffers have expressed frustration with the White House’s handling of Biden’s mental fitness in the months leading up to the debate. A recent AP/NORC poll indicated that 65% of Democrats want Biden to withdraw from the race. While some Biden aides have rallied together, others feel disillusioned. A DNC official told Axios, “I appreciate the focus on staff efforts, but no one wants or needs to be gaslit about the president.”

Calls for Biden to step aside

Calls for Biden to step aside have grown louder, with Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) publicly stating, “I think the President should end his campaign.” Senior Democratic officials are urging Biden to make a decision on his future this weekend. One of Biden’s core advisers, Steve Ricchetti, traveled to Delaware to be available for face-to-face conversations with Biden when his COVID status allows it. Internally, some Biden officials believe the end is near, while others remain hopeful.

Campaign efforts continue

Despite the political fallout, the Biden campaign has continued its field work in swing states. “Over the course of the last week alone, we had 100,000 door knocks,” Dillon said. “We had 76% of those people that are with Joe Biden, and those are not Joe Biden voters. Those are our re-engagement targets, the people that haven’t checked in yet, they are expansion targets–the people that weren’t with us in ’20 but have moved to us and our issues since then.”

Biden officials are telling Democratic critics that President Biden is eager to prove them wrong and plans to hit the campaign trail once he recovers from COVID, with potential trips to Georgia and Texas in the coming days.