Joe Biden’s emergency meeting with Democratic governors to drum up support hit a major roadblock after a top lawmaker was accused of lying.
New York’s Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul unanimously expressed her support for the ailing president (81) after the meeting, but other politicians present say she has no right to do so.
And another female Democratic governor — Janet Mills of Maine — pulled no punches as she slammed Biden for last week’s abysmal debate performance, after trying to calm them down by saying he had cleared a medical exam earlier in the week.
Mills told Biden directly that she had no problem with his age, but that she did not think he was qualified to run against Donald Trump. Ned Lamont of Connecticut then asked him about his future prospects, indicating that he wanted to let his voters know.
Both governors questioned whether he could beat Trump in their states, sources said. No Democrat has lost Connecticut or Maine since 1988.
Joe Biden’s emergency meeting with Democratic governors to drum up support hit a major roadblock after a top lawmaker was accused of lying
New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul (pictured center) unanimously offered her support for the ailing president, 81, after the rally, but other politicians present say she has no right to
Several liberal governors, such as would-be successors Gavin Newsom of California and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, followed Hochul’s lead and submissively expressed their support on Twitter after the meeting.
Many governors, including Whitmer, attended the meeting only virtually. Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser was also in attendance.
Biden held the summit at the White House after nearly a week of bad press and calls to drop out of the race following his disastrous debate with Trump. It lasted more than an hour and was described by attendees as “candid.”
Vice President Kamala Harris, who is seen by many as Trump’s likely successor, closed the meeting by reiterating how dangerous a Trump victory would be for democracy, the New York Times reported.
Several governors tried to convince Democrats that Biden was capable of doing this and that they owed him their support.
“The president has always supported us. We will support him,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore told reporters.
“The president… he is our nominee. The president is our party leader,” he added.
Moore, Hochul and Tim Walz of Minnesota, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, were the only three of the 12 attendees who spoke personally to the media.
Maine Governor Janet Mills didn’t mince her words as she slammed Biden for last week’s terrible debate performance, after he tried to appease them by saying he had cleared a medical exam earlier in the week
Ned Lamont of Connecticut wondered what his path forward was, saying he needed to inform his constituents
“Of course, like many Americans, we are a little concerned. We are concerned because the threat of a Trump presidency is not theoretical,” Walz said.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, who was in attendance in person, posted his reaction on the social platform X: “I heard three words from the president tonight: He’s all in. And so am I.”
Biden’s campaign team said the president reiterated his determination “to defeat the existential threat posed by Donald Trump at the ballot box in November” and discussed the importance of electing Democrats across all constituencies.
“All participants reiterated their collective commitment to do everything possible to ensure that President Biden and Vice President Harris defeat Donald Trump in November,” the report said.
Biden is trying to salvage his faltering reelection in a variety of ways. He’s making impromptu appearances with campaign staff, holding private meetings with top lawmakers, traveling all weekend and giving a televised interview.
But he faced serious indications that support for him on Capitol Hill and among other allies was rapidly waning.
Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Arizona) said he supports Biden as long as he is a candidate, but that this is “an opportunity to look elsewhere” and that Biden “has to take responsibility to keep that seat — and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race.”
Wealthy donor Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix, also called on Biden to withdraw.