- Biden has met with Democratic governors to try to quell calls for him to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race.
- The Biden campaign has offered excuses and blame for Biden’s poor performance in the debates.
- During the meeting, Biden said he needed to get more sleep and would not attend events after 8 p.m.
Joe Biden has a new solution to ease concerns after his disastrous performance in last week’s debate with Donald Trump: Get more rest.
Biden has faced growing pressure to withdraw from the race after a speech last Thursday in which he appeared hoarse, stuttering, making slip-ups and sporting a blank look, but on Wednesday he met with key Democratic governors in an attempt to clear away any opposition.
He again dismissed criticism of the debate as a one-time mistake, according to CNN and the New York Times.
And the 81-year-old president said he’s still ready to beat Trump, reportedly telling state governors they just need to get more sleep and stop holding events after 8pm.
(Last week’s live debate, in which Biden lost disastrously, began at 9 p.m.)
The solution was reportedly unpopular with state governors who attended the statement, according to CNN. The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment on the report.
The Biden campaign had previously blamed the poor showing on cold and jet lag caused by Biden’s overseas trip a few days earlier.
According to Politico, Biden’s family has privately blamed senior aides, including senior adviser Anita Dunn, Biden’s lawyer Bob Bauer and Biden’s former chief of staff Ron Klain, for Biden’s poor performance.
For now, Biden’s political allies and surrogates have publicly supported him, even after the meeting with the governors.
“The president has always had our backs,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore told reporters. “We’re going to have his backs.”
Other governors said they would support Biden as long as he remains the nominee.
But the leak that Biden plans to skip an evening event is unlikely to ease concerns about his mental health.
There is growing doubt among House Democrats about whether Biden should resign, and Rep. Jim Clyburn, a key Biden ally, has said he would support Vice President Kamala Harris if Biden were to step down, indicating that what was once unthinkable is now being considered.
One lawmaker, speaking on condition of anonymity, told CNN that House members are giving Biden some space to decide what to do next.
Biden, meanwhile, has a big event planned: a taped interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on Friday that will give him a chance to prove he’s capable of running for president — or make a gaffe that could derail his campaign.
