With no clear path forward, more Democrats affirm support for Biden
| Washington
Nearly two weeks after President Joe Biden鈥檚 debate disaster, elected officials from his party seem to be cycling through stages of grief.
Some are stuck in denial about how bad things look for their party. Some are angry he won鈥檛 get out. Some are still trying to strike a bargain for how to give him a push. Some are just depressed. And some are accepting the reality that Mr. Biden isn鈥檛 going anywhere 鈥� and that there鈥檚 no consensus among party leaders to try to push him out.
In separate huddles on Tuesday, House and Senate Democrats privately vented about Mr. Biden鈥檚 debate performance as well as his team鈥檚 slow response. But the pair of fraught meetings showed Democrats there鈥檚 no unanimity about what to do, with a fractured caucus agreeing only that they had few good options in front of them and time dwindling until an election they see as an existential test for democracy itself.
Why We Wrote This
Democrats on Capitol Hill are divided and demoralized. Many believe President Joe Biden is on track to lose, but there鈥檚 no consensus about what to do 鈥� and plenty of risk in a confrontation with the presumptive nominee.
鈥淲e鈥檙e still talking. We鈥檙e still talking,鈥� said Rep. Bobby Scott, a Virginia Democrat who has expressed support for Mr. Biden, as he left the House meeting.
In their first full day back in Washington after the July 4 recess, congressional Democrats expressed a deepening sense of hopelessness over their party鈥檚 chances in November. But they still face the same collective-action problem that kept any serious candidate from challenging Mr. Biden for the 2024 nomination, and kept many party leaders from publicly voicing concerns about his age and mental acuity. Few want to criticize the sitting president, who is only digging in harder, if it means damaging the party鈥檚 chances against the GOP.聽
On Tuesday, a growing number of elected Democrats appeared prepared to once again fall in line and support Mr. Biden, even though many think he鈥檚 destined to lose to a flawed candidate they see as a would-be dictator. The emerging game plan seems to be no plan at all. And the longer their deliberations drag out, the less likely it is that Democrats will pull together to push for a change. With time running short, inertia and indecisiveness among Democratic leaders are Mr. Biden鈥檚 friends.
Outside the Washington bubble, some Democratic voters are exasperated with the lack of resolve from their representatives.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 the holdup? Who are you afraid of angering?鈥� asks Jesse Dehnert, a Democratic voter who works in construction management in Seattle. 鈥淵ou guys in Congress are going to anger your constituents by not doing anything.鈥澛�
Mr. Biden warns 鈥榚lites鈥� not to go against voters鈥� will. But are they?
In recent days, Mr. Biden has been making a concerted push to show fellow Democrats he鈥檚 not going anywhere 鈥� and pressuring party members to stop talking about his failures as a candidate. In a strongly worded to congressional Democrats on Monday, he declared: 鈥淎ny weakening of resolve or lack of clarity about the task ahead only helps Trump and hurts us.鈥� Then he called in to MSNBC鈥檚 Morning Joe, daring possible rivals to 鈥渃hallenge me at the convention.鈥�
Mr. Biden held a Monday evening conference call with the Congressional Black Caucus to cement the support of a powerful bloc of House Democrats. Both the CBC head and the leader of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus soon put out statements in support of their embattled president. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive leader from New York, also moved to shore up Mr. Biden on Monday night, : 鈥渢he matter is closed,鈥� and urging Democrats to unite behind him.
The president has blamed party 鈥渆lites鈥� for trying to cast him aside against the will of Democratic voters. And to be sure, he is the presumptive nominee, thanks to voters鈥� support in a largely uncontested primary season.聽
But polls since the June 27 debate have shown the president trailing Mr. Trump by a widening margin, even in swing states where Democratic senators are ahead 鈥� and聽 of Democrats think he shouldn鈥檛 be running. It鈥檚 true that many Democratic voters will pull the lever for Mr. Biden in November simply to avoid a second Trump term. But that doesn鈥檛 mean that 鈥渢he average voter out there,鈥� as Mr. Biden put it in his Morning Joe appearance, strongly supports him.
Mr. Dehnert of Seattle, who voted for Mr. Biden in 2020, says he wishes the president would now step aside. A different Democrat 鈥� frankly, anyone, he says 鈥� would have a better chance at beating Mr. Trump in November, who he believes is a threat to American democracy. And he鈥檚 dismayed that Mr. Biden has resorted to what he sees as Trumpian tactics to shut down dissenting voices in his party.聽
Other frustrated Democratic voters fear having such a public fight about Mr. Biden鈥檚 physical and mental fitness will only serve to strengthen Mr. Trump.
鈥淚f Biden had been primaried ... I probably would have considered someone else. But if it鈥檚 Biden vs. Trump, that鈥檚 not really a choice for me,鈥� says Lekesha Benson, a Democratic voter who serves on the city council of Seneca, South Carolina. At this point, she wishes congressional Democrats would 鈥渟hut up and vote for him, 鈥檆ause you鈥檙e not going to get anyone else.鈥澛�
Ms. Benson says she鈥檚 not surprised the Congressional Black Caucus was among Mr. Biden鈥檚 most vocal backers on Capitol Hill this week. During Mr. Trump鈥檚 first term, which Ms. Benson calls the 鈥渕ost uncomfortable years of my life,鈥� she says the 鈥渨hole rhetoric鈥� in America changed. Black voters, says Ms. Benson, must think practically.聽
鈥淲e鈥檙e not thinking about his age,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e fearful of another Trump presidency.鈥�
How do you just say, 鈥榃e鈥檙e going to find a new person to run鈥�?
Seven House Democrats have publicly called on the president to step aside, while several senators have issued statements warning Mr. Biden that he hasn鈥檛 done enough to prove he should stay in the race 鈥� but stopping short of calling for him to drop out. The president should 鈥渟eriously consider the best way to preserve his incredible legacy and secure it for the future,鈥� Washington Sen. Patty Murray, the longest-serving Senate Democrat, said in a statement Monday evening.聽
Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado said Monday evening that it was 鈥渁n act of loyalty鈥� to their party and the country for Democrats in positions of power to have tough conversations about whether they should push Mr. Biden to exit the race.
But a number of other Democrats have rallied around him in the past few days.
鈥淚 feel we鈥檝e hit a turning point,鈥� said Massachusetts Rep. Stephen Lynch, echoing Mr. Biden鈥檚 assertion that it鈥檚 鈥渢ime to move on鈥� from discussing the debate, and adding that 鈥渕any more members鈥� have come to share that view. Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York said on a private call with senior House Democrats on Sunday that Mr. Biden should step down. But on Tuesday, he said his concerns were 鈥渂esides the point鈥� now that Mr. Biden had made it clear that he wasn鈥檛 leaving.
One factor is simply timing. Democrats may not feel confident about Mr. Biden, but many fear an 11th-hour disruption would be worse. A coronation by party bosses of Vice President Kamala Harris 鈥� or an ugly, contested convention next month 鈥� are both huge risks.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no plan. How do you just say, 鈥榃e鈥檙e going to find a new person to run鈥�?鈥� says Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois.聽
Members emerge from party gatherings tight-lipped聽
House Democrats held a meeting at the Democratic National Committee to talk through their options Tuesday morning. Leadership required them to turn over their phones so they couldn鈥檛 text reporters from the room.聽聽
Consensus was not reached. Many emerged from the testy gathering into the sweltering Washington summer heat tight-lipped and irritable.聽
South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn, one of Mr. Biden鈥檚 closest allies on Capitol Hill, would only repeat 鈥淩idin鈥� with Biden!鈥� over and over. Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a former DNC chair, rebuffed the reporters who flocked to her. 鈥淕uys. I need to find my staff, if you could give me room to do that,鈥� she said.聽
Senate Democrats were no more eager to talk as they emerged from their weekly lunch that ran twice as long as usual.
Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, who on Monday called on Mr. Biden to 鈥減rove 鈥� that he鈥檚 up to the job for another four years,鈥� would only say that the meeting was 鈥渃onstructive.鈥� That鈥檚 the same word used by Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, who had planned a private meeting with Democrats to talk through a path forward but canceled it when it leaked to the press. Vermont Sen. Peter Welch said only that Democratic senators had 鈥渁 ways to go,鈥� before declining to say more.聽
Senators Tester and Bennet, along with Ohio Democrat Sherrod Brown, all reportedly that they didn鈥檛 believe Mr. Biden could win this fall.聽
Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who campaigned with the president over the weekend and has been one of Mr. Biden鈥檚 most vocal supporters, was one of the few Democrats willing to talk.聽
鈥淛oe Biden is our guy. He鈥檚 my guy, and he鈥檚 the only guy ever to kick Trump鈥檚 [expletive],鈥� he told a throng of reporters.聽
The handful of Democrats who are publicly pushing for Mr. Biden to get out of the race worry that the whole situation is likely to get worse. But they aren鈥檛 optimistic that the president will heed their calls.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a proud guy. He鈥檚 not a guy who listens to other people,鈥� said Rep. Mike Quigley of Illinois. 鈥淪o, we are where we are.鈥�
