(NewsNation) — President Joe Biden will speak to Democratic governors Wednesday evening as concerns swirl over his debate performance.
A White House source told NewsNation these governors have been strong allies to Biden, “and we look forward to their continued partnership.”
In addition, the president is also planning to speak with leaders on Capitol Hill and White Chief of Staff Jeff Zients is holding an all-staff call on Wednesday.
CNN’s Jake Tapper first reported, and NewsNation confirmed, that Democratic governors had their own separate call Monday to discuss Biden after his performance at the first presidential debate with former President Donald Trump last week. As he sparred with Trump on Thursday, Biden’s halting delivery and repeated verbal stumbles fueled speculation that at age 81, he is not able to lead for another four years.
On Monday, Democratic governors in the call, organized by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, expressed concern about what’s happening with the president, Tapper wrote, and surprise that they had not heard from Biden after the debate.
During a call between Biden campaign officials, also on Monday, one told a Zoom meeting of about 500 donors that Biden “is probably in better health than most of us,” while adding that at his age, he must prove he has the stamina for the job.
Campaign officials promised donors that Biden would not be staying in the race if he didn’t think he was ready for the challenge, the source confirmed to NewsNation.
Biden has repeatedly said he has no intention of dropping out of the 2024 election.
At a White House briefing Tuesday, the first since the debate, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reiterated what officials had said before: that Biden had a cold Thursday night and did not take medication for it.
Asked directly if Biden has Alzheimer’s, dementia or any other disease that could cause memory lapses, Jean-Pierre said no.
“We understand the concerns. We get it. The president did not have a great night,” Jean-Pierre said.
She added that the White House medical team said a cognitive test was not warranted in this case.
When asked about former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying on MSNBC that it’s a “legitimate question” to ask whether Biden’s issues at the debate were just “an episode” or “a condition,” Jean-Pierre pushed back against both characterizations.
“I would not see this as an episode,” Jean-Pierre said. “I would see this as what it was and what we believe it to be, which was a bad night.”
Some Democratic lawmakers aren’t buying what the Biden campaign and officials are selling, though. One senator says he’s looking for reassurances from the White House and Biden’s campaign that they are being honest about the president’s condition.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas was the first current Democratic lawmaker to publicly call for Biden to step down, saying he failed during the debate to “effectively defend his many accomplishments.”
“My decision to make these strong reservations public is not done lightly nor does it in any way diminish my respect for all that President Biden has achieved,” Doggett said in a statement. “Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Biden’s first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw.”
Former Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, urged the party to make Vice President Kamala Harris the new nominee. Harris herself has denied wanting to step into the ring, with spokesperson Ernie Apreza saying in a statement to NewsNation partner The Hill that she “looks forward to serving a second term with President Joe Biden.”
Despite these challenges, Biden’s campaign is touting record fundraising numbers. In total, his campaign raised $127 million during June — the most it has raised in a month so far. Of that, $38 million was garnered in the four days after the debate.
The president has multiple on-camera, unscripted events in coming weeks, a schedule that could potentially help quiet rumors over the incumbent candidate’s mental acuity.
