Biden plans to meet with Democratic governors and look to shore up support after shaky debate
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has invited all Democratic governors to meet on Wednesday, as he attempts to solidify support among his party’s top leaders after last week’s shaky debate performance.
The discussion is likely to be mostly virtual, according to two people familiar with Biden’s plan, who insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss a schedule that hasn’t yet been made public.
The president denounced the Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity on Monday night but had otherwise announced a largely politics-free and business-as-usual postdebate schedule — including planning to host July 4 celebrations at the White House for Thursday’s holiday.
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The meeting is the strongest indication yet that Biden is attempting to calm fears among some Democrats, who worry he may not be up to continuing a campaign — much less defeat Donald Trump — following his sometimes raspy and halting performance during last week’s debate in Atlanta.
Texas Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett called Tuesday for Biden to formally withdraw from the race. But most of the party’s highest-profile leaders in Congress and elsewhere have continued to back him, at least for now.
There is also no indication that the president is seriously considering stepping aside.
His campaign has downplayed the president’s political problems in a series of memos and private meetings with donors, strategists and party insiders, insisting that Biden can put one bad debate performance Biden him without hurting his long-term chances in November.
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Colleen Long, The Associated Press