The White House has told the outlet that the claim is “absolutely false”
According to the New York Times, US President Joe Biden is seriously considering whether he can recover from his “disastrous” debate performance. The report, citing a “key ally” who wished to remain anonymous, suggested that Biden’s performance in the recent CNN-hosted debate with challenger Donald Trump was “devastating,” despite the campaign’s attempts to create favorable conditions for him.
The anonymous source told the newspaper, “He knows if he has two more events like that, we’re in a different place” by the end of the Independence Day weekend.
While the source emphasized that Biden is “still deeply in the fight for re-election,” the 81-year-old is reportedly aware that his candidacy needs a positive turn in the next few days to “salvage” it.
Biden has upcoming engagements, including an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on Friday and campaign events in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. A meeting with Democratic governors is also scheduled for Wednesday evening.
White House spokesman Andrew Bates told the NYT that the anonymous ally’s claim was “absolutely false” and that he had not been given enough time to respond.
The Times reported that Biden has confided in at least one individual, expressing his uncertainty about the effectiveness of shifting the narrative away from the debate and focusing on Trump.
The White House and the campaign have offered a for what happened at the debate. Meanwhile, a on Wednesday showed Trump two points ahead of Biden nationally and three points in battleground states.
“Concerns are mounting about his viability as a candidate and whether he could serve as president for another four years,” the Times noted. Several other unnamed allies of Biden told the outlet that he was “clear-eyed” about the “uphill battle to convince voters, donors and the political class” that his debate performance was simply a bad day.
Media outlets that have been long-time supporters of Biden, who just last month insisted that he was “sharp as a tack” and dismissed allegations of mental and physical infirmity as fake news, have reversed their stance. Major party donors have reportedly , demanding a new candidate.
Vice President Kamala Harris remains unpopular, however, and the Democrats did not allow a competitive primary, leaving them with limited options for a possible replacement.