President Joe Biden's family members privately trashed his campaign advisers this weekend at Camp David, blamed them for his failure in Thursday's debate, and urged Biden to either fire or demote people, Politico reported.
According to three people who were told about the family discussions but were not directly involved with them, there is no immediate expectation that the president will listen to their advice.
Biden's family members complained about the debate practice: that he could not pivot to attack more, that he could not outline a vision for a second term, and that he was overworked.
Politico reported that the blame was cast mostly on staffers, including senior adviser Anita Dunn; her husband and Biden's attorney, Bob Bauer, who stood in for former President Donald Trump during debate rehearsals; and former chief of staff Ron Klain, who ran point on debate prep.
However, Biden campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz said in a statement, "The aides who prepped the president have been with him for years, often decades, seeing him through victories and challenges. He maintains strong confidence in them."
Biden allies and staffers have blamed many factors for the president's bad debate performance, such as his having a cold or being overprepared. However, as the finger-pointing has moved toward Biden's advisers, it has allowed the family to overlook Biden's own failings in the debate.
The Biden family also expected to talk about the best way to reassure the Democrats that staying in the race is the correct decision. Biden's campaign staff also grew angrier at CNN for how the debate was run, including not fact-checking Trump enough, Biden's pale appearance on camera, and his not knowing which camera he'd be on when not speaking.
Biden's raspy voice, trailing answers, and deflated stage presence during the debate panicked Democrats about whether the president's campaign is viable and whether he should potentially be replaced.
The concern among voters about Biden's age likely will only grow from the debate.
A CBS News/YouGov poll published Sunday showed an increase in registered voters who do not believe that he has the mental and cognitive health to serve as president, from 65% earlier this month to 72% currently. Democrats are also split as to whether he should run for president, with 46% of registered Democrats saying he should not, while 54% say he should.
People close to Biden say that the only way Biden would drop out of the race is if his family encouraged him to do so.
Jeremy Frankel ✉
Jeremy Frankel is a Newsmax writer reporting on news and politics.
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