President Joe Biden is ramping up his outreach efforts to key groups of lawmakers after meeting with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries following his solo news conference on Thursday. Jeffries expressed the insights and perspectives of the Caucus in a letter to colleagues on Friday but did not offer his endorsement to Biden, according to sources familiar with the meeting. Biden has since made calls to various Democratic lawmakers, including the political wings of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. The president also had a virtual meeting with both the New Democrat Coalition and the Congressional Progressive Caucus over the weekend. Despite Biden’s improved performance during his news conference, defections in his Democratic coalition have continued, with more than a dozen House members and at least one senator publicly calling on Biden to withdraw from his reelection campaign. Rep. Mike Levin of California even directly told Biden to step aside during a call with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
While some Democrats have expressed concerns or remain undecided about Biden’s chances, over 70 members of the House and Senate have reaffirmed their support for him as the party’s presidential nominee. Key Democratic leaders like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Jeffries have publicly supported Biden’s bid, while former Speaker Nancy Pelosi has privately shared her concerns. Biden’s campaign communications director Michael Tyler acknowledged the anxiety from Capitol Hill but emphasized that the president will continue engaging with lawmakers to secure their support.
During his news conference, Biden provided detailed remarks on various foreign policy issues but also made a couple of noticeable gaffes, including mistaking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for “President Putin” and referring to Vice President Kamala Harris as Donald Trump. While some Democrats saw Biden’s performance as a demonstration of his leadership capabilities, others used his verbal miscues as further justification for replacing him as the party’s nominee. Biden, who had previously stated that only the “Lord Almighty” could convince him to drop out, hinted at potential scenarios where he might reconsider his stance. The campaign has acknowledged the challenges they have faced since Biden’s debate performance, with campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon acknowledging to staff the difficulty of the past weeks but expressing confidence in their plan to secure victory in the upcoming election.
