Democratic governors are seeking a meeting with the White House to discuss their concerns about President Joe Biden following his poor debate performance, multiple sources told CNN. The concerns were raised on a call organized by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, attended only by governors. Some governors expressed surprise at not hearing from Biden directly about his debate performance, leading to a strong sentiment that they needed to hear from him. There was also discussion of having Vice President Kamala Harris address them.
The governors are worried about going public with their concerns, fearing that it would further entrench Biden. Plans for a meeting at the White House are in the works but not yet scheduled. The White House is looking to hold a meeting with Democratic governors on Wednesday, which may include a mix of in-person and virtual attendance.
Biden’s advisers are considering having the president travel to Wisconsin on Friday and Pennsylvania on Sunday. Biden’s shaky debate performance has stirred concern among some of his largest donors and caused panic among Democrats about the future of his campaign. Despite this, Biden has appeared more energetic and clear-spoken in recent public events. During a rally in North Carolina, he admitted to performing poorly in the debate.
While Biden’s recent appearances have been in front of friendly crowds or with him reading from a teleprompter, he has avoided most reporters’ questions. Lawmakers and top Democrats are eager to hear from Biden himself. The campaign has sought to reassure donors about Biden’s debate showing, but some top Democrats are unhappy with the post-debate messaging.
The story has been updated with additional reporting, clarifying that some governors on the call had not heard directly from the president about the debate. CNN’s Arlette Saenz contributed to this report.
