US President Joe Biden acknowledged during a meeting with Democratic governors that he needs to prioritize more sleep and reduce his workload, according to the New York Times.
The New York Times, citing two sources with direct knowledge of the remarks, reported on Thursday that President Biden made these admissions during a meeting with Democratic governors on Wednesday. This event aimed to reassure party members that the 81-year-old president remains capable of fulfilling his duties and leading a strong reelection campaign.
Multiple media outlets reported that Biden reiterated his commitment to the race, telling over 20 Democratic governors that he is “in it to win it.” The NYT report states that Biden expressed a desire for more sleep and less work, particularly aiming to avoid scheduling events after 8 pm. A separate report by Politico suggested that Biden referenced a recent medical checkup when questioned about his physical condition.
Concerns regarding Biden’s physical and mental fitness have been prevalent within the Democratic establishment following the widely perceived as disastrous debate with Republican rival Donald Trump last week. While the Biden campaign attributed the poor performance to a cold, Biden reportedly acknowledged during the meeting with governors that his failure to ease his schedule ahead of the debate contributed to his subpar performance.
Significant dissatisfaction with Biden has emerged from major Democratic donors, including Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, who openly expressed his disappointment to the NYT, calling the debate “disastrous” and advocating for Biden to step down from the reelection campaign. Hastings stated, “Biden needs to step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous.”
Furthermore, Bloomberg reported that numerous elected Democrats in Congress are considering signing an open letter urging Biden to suspend his campaign. While the source of the information, an unnamed “senior party official,” did not name those considering this move, Bloomberg confirmed that the initiative is under consideration.