According to reports in the US press, Biden, who “wanted to allay fears about his competence to govern the country,” met with Vice President Kamala Harris and Democratic Party governors in Washington. Maryland Governor Wes Moore, New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz made a joint statement to the press after the meeting with Biden. Walz said in a statement that Biden was suitable for the presidency and said, “None of us deny that the night of June 27 was a poor performance.”
Moore said they found the meeting honest and sincere, and that they shared their concerns with Biden as governors. Stating that they conveyed the reactions they received from the public to Biden, Moore said, “The president is our candidate. The president is our party leader. Biden was very clear that he is in this race to win.”
Hochul noted that all Democratic Party governors have pledged their support to Biden because the risks are high.
Criticism from Within the Democratic Party and Donors
- Democratic Party donor and Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings called on Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, saying Biden should allow powerful Democratic leaders to defeat former US President Donald Trump in the election.
- Democratic House of Representatives member Raul Grijalva became the second person to call for Biden to withdraw from the presidential race.
- Democrat Lloyd Doggett was the first House member to call on Biden to drop out of the race.
Names Considered as Alternatives to Biden
| Names | Survey results |
|---|---|
| Gavin Newsom (Governor of California) | He was seen to perform worse than Biden and Harris in the polls. |
| Gretchen Whitmer (Governor of Michigan) | He was seen to perform worse than Biden and Harris in the polls. |
| J. B. Pritzker (Governor of Illinois) | He was seen to perform worse than Biden and Harris in the polls. |
| Andy Beshear (Kentucky Governor) | He was seen to perform worse than Biden and Harris in the polls. |
US President Biden failed to deliver a performance that would allay concerns about his age in his second-term candidacy during his live debate with Trump on June 27, and was subjected to intense criticism after the program.
