Gov. Maura Healey (left) was quoted as saying the political situation for President Joe Biden is “irretrievable,” The New York Times reported. (Evan Vucci/Associated Press)
Gov. Maura Healey said earlier this week that President Joe Biden’s political situation is “irreparable” after his unpopular debate performance last month rattled Democrats across the country, The New York Times reported Thursday.
Healey shared her assessment of Biden’s position with White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients, who then shared it with other governors in a conference call on Monday, The New York Times reported.
The harsh assessment of the president stands out from other Democratic state officials and comes from a top surrogate for Biden’s reelection campaign.
A spokesman for Healey’s campaign did not immediately respond to multiple requests for comment on Thursday and Friday.
The comments came just days before Healey and other governors are scheduled to travel to Washington on Wednesday to meet with Biden at the White House. The visit was pitched as a way to ease concerns that the president may not be able to defeat former President Donald Trump in November’s presidential election.
Many governors left the conference issuing statements in support of Biden.
“The governors support him and are working together to make that very clear,” said Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association.
“The path to victory in November is the top priority, that’s the president’s No. 1 priority,” he said after the meeting.
Healey reportedly did not speak at Wednesday’s meeting and has not spoken publicly about the matter since. He previously acknowledged Biden’s “poor debate performance” but has not said whether Biden should step aside and let someone else run for the White House.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills also expressed concern at the meeting on Wednesday that she doesn’t think Biden is up to the task of taking on President Trump, The New York Times reported.
The governors joined other Democratic lawmakers in casting doubt on Biden’s chances of reelection.
Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton of Salem, in an interview with WBUR, called on Biden to drop out of the race, making him the third member of Congress and the first from Massachusetts to do so.
“President Biden has done a great deal for our country, but it’s time for him to follow in the footsteps of one of our founding fathers, George Washington, and step aside so new leadership can rise up and take on Donald Trump,” Moulton told the radio station.
Moulton was not available for an interview Friday, according to a spokesman.
For now, Biden has vowed to continue the campaign.
“Let me say this as clearly as I can, as simply as I can, as bluntly as I can: I’m running. No one’s trying to get rid of me,” Biden said on a conference call with his re-election campaign staff on Wednesday. “I’m not resigning. I’m going to fight this campaign to the end, and we’re going to win.”
Materials from The Associated Press were used in this report.
