As the White House girds for President Joe Biden's reelection bid, it's privately telling worried Democrats to chill out over his advanced age and underwater polling.
People familiar with the matter told Axios that senior White House adviser Mike Donilon is telling nervous Democrats that abortion and former President Donald Trump, who is currently the 2024 GOP front-runner, will propel Biden to a second term.
Some Democrats are reportedly concerned that the confidence of top White House aides is hubris, even as Biden officials largely dismiss the growing anxiety over the president's impeachment inquiry, first son Hunter Biden's indictment on gun charges, the border crisis, Biden's advanced age, the economy, and the United Auto Workers union strike.
According to Axios, the White House plans to keep promoting a message that focuses on protecting democracy, ensuring access to abortion services, and a robust economy.
The recent calls from within the Democratic Party for Biden, 80, to drop out of the race are reportedly seen by the administration as another example of party elites underestimating him.
"We don't take the ups and downs of individual polls to heart," a senior Biden adviser told Axios. "What will matter next year is when our voters are fully engaged."
"While Republicans are going after each other, we are already reaching persuadable voters in battleground states. Our eyes are focused on the long game."
Democrats' anxiety spiked last week when Washington Post columnist David Ignatius – reportedly one of Biden's favorite journalists – wrote that "President Biden should not run again in 2024."
Ignatius column coincided with a week of bad news and bad poll numbers for the White House.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., ordered an impeachment inquiry into Biden, while the president's son, Hunter Biden, was indicted on three counts of alleged illegal possession of a gun.
According to a new CBS News/YouGov poll released over the weekend, just one in three registered U.S. voters says Biden would complete a second term if reelected. The poll also showed that voters prefer Trump to Biden (50% to 49%) despite the four indictments hanging over Trump's attempt to recapture the White House.
In remarks at a Broadway for Biden fundraiser at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater in New York, Biden tried to make light of his age while admitting to donors there are questions.
"You may have noticed, a lot of people seem focused on my age," he reportedly said to laughter on Monday. "Well, I get it, believe me. I know better than anyone.
"It sounds like hyperbole, but it's a fact. I've never been more optimistic about our country's future in the 800 years I've served. We just have to — we have to remember who in the hell we are."
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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