The simmering rift between Joe Biden’s family and staff has finally erupted after his disastrous performance at last week’s debate.
The president blamed a cold and a “bad night” for the weak, confused appearance he appeared and the difficulty he had in finishing his sentences during the confrontation with Donald Trump.
Biden firmly stated that he would run in the November 5 election and win, despite pressure from some leading Democrats to convince him to withdraw.
The fallout from the debate gave Biden’s family, including his disgraced son Hunter, ammunition to settle old scores with his staff and get more involved.
Joe Biden’s immediate family visited the White House this past week to console him after the debate and plan next steps. They included his sister Valerie Owens, and son Hunter and his wife Melissa Cohen Biden
The president blamed a cold and a generally “bad night” for appearing weak, confused and struggling to finish his sentences during the confrontation with Donald Trump.
They accuse his staff of not preparing him properly for the debate and of generally not putting him in a position to show his strengths.
“I believe the family has witnessed blunder after blunder by key staff members and the debate is likely to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” one of 13 sources close to the president said. NBC.
“After the debate, instead of taking responsibility, the supposedly loyal staff pointed the finger at the president and said, ‘It’s his fault.’ I can’t think of any action that would have outraged the Biden family more.”
Aides argue that the president’s family is blinded to political realities by emotion, comparing their “pointless” meddling to a Shakespearean drama.
“The debate fiasco has created an opportunity for the family to go above and beyond the staff and help their father and brother, whom they love dearly,” another insider said.
Biden’s immediate family visited the White House last week to console him after the debate and discuss next steps.
Among them were his sister Valerie Owens, his son Hunter and his wife Melissa Cohen Biden, along with several grandchildren who were on hand for the Fourth of July celebration.
Biden talks with his son Hunter Biden after fireworks on the National Mall with First Lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff on the White House balcony
Biden with granddaughter Maisy Biden and family members watch fireworks from the Truman Balcony at the White House during the US Independence Day celebration at the White House
Hunter’s presence, just weeks after he was convicted of a gun crime, and his upcoming tax fraud trial have particularly angered staff, who feel he should be kept out of the public eye. This sentiment infuriates the family.
Michael LaRosa, Jill Biden’s former communications director, defended Hunter’s involvement, noting that despite his past drug addiction, he was a Harvard-educated lawyer.
“He was much more effective in media strategy and political knife fighting than the campaign has been so far and they have $250 million,” he said.
‘At the end of the day, [Biden is] “He is very close to his children, his brothers and his sister, and values their unfiltered advice… and it makes sense that they would be frustrated if they felt left out.”
Some of the president’s family unsuccessfully called for the resignation of his personal attorney and counsel Bob Bauer and his wife, the chief White House adviser, Anita Dunn.
Bauer played the role of Trump during the debate preparations at Camp David in the days leading up to last Thursday’s disastrous event, just as he did in 2020.
Anita Dunn (left), senior adviser to President Joe Biden, and White House Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs Reema Dodin
Bob Bauer, Biden’s longtime personal attorney, is one of his closest confidants
But the family does not seem to have gotten further than a conversation about their deportation, as the president has great confidence in their lawyer.
“The President and First Lady have complete confidence in their team, including Anita and Bob,” said White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients.
“There is absolutely no truth to these unfounded and insulting rumors.”
Still, there was so much drama in the public sphere that Biden reached out to his former chief of staff Ron Klain, who was leading preparations for the debate, to reassure him.
Biden’s family also believes his staff is controlling him too tightly, fearing the blunder-prone president will interrupt him.
However, his advisors accuse the family of being too overprotective.
Aides also pointed fingers at each other, particularly their regular staff, for shielding Biden to the point where he could no longer cope well with unexpected moments.
The president’s staff has much more confidence in Dunn and Bauer. Unlike his longtime advisers, they are like family to him. The pair are not afraid to tell him “the truth,” even if he doesn’t like it.
“Anita is one of the most respected people in the White House, during the campaign and in the Democratic Party,” one of them said.
“Without her leadership, there are real concerns that we cannot recover, cannot win, and cannot win, just as she helped the president bounce back from primary losses in early 2020 to defeat Trump.”
Bauer is married to Anita Dunn, senior adviser for communications at the White House
Biden likes to do prep work at Camp David — above, he and his team prepare for the State of the Union address at Camp David in March
Polls since the debate show Trump’s lead over Biden widening. On average, some statistical analysts give him a lead of 2 to 3.3 percentage points in a head-to-head contest, and 2.5 to 4.9 percentage points when third-party candidates are included.
While some Democratic lawmakers have openly called for Biden’s resignation, and many more privately, the most obvious candidates to replace him appear unwilling to do so.
California Governor Gavin Newsom and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer endorsed Biden as their candidate within minutes of each other earlier this week.
None of Biden’s potential replacements are polling better against Trump than the president, except Michelle Obama, who is ahead of him by double digits.