President Joe Biden, accompanied by Vice President Kamala Harris, joined a White House staff call on Wednesday to assure his team that he is committed to staying in the race. This call came amid some calls from within his own party to potentially replace him on the Democratic ticket following his debate performance against former President Donald Trump on CNN.
Numerous reports emerged during the call. Politico senior columnist Jonathan Martin reported that the message conveyed was clear and scripted: Biden is staying in the race. Biden emphasized, “When I get knocked down…” to his team, indicating his determination to continue.
Biden reportedly stated, “Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can: I am running… no one’s pushing me out. I’m not leaving. I’m in this race to the end and we’re going to win,” as cited by Politico’s Elena Schneider from a source on the call.
According to CNN’s Betsy Klein, Biden acknowledged the campaign’s recent challenges but reaffirmed his commitment to running for reelection and defeating Donald Trump.
CNN’s MJ Lee described the call as a “pep talk” for Biden’s team, occurring shortly after the White House dismissed a New York Times report that suggested Biden had doubts about staying in the race. The Times had quoted an ally saying Biden was aware of the implications of having two more poor performances like his recent debate, but White House Senior Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates labeled the report “absolutely false.”
During the call, the Times released a post-debate poll showing Trump with a six-point lead over Biden.
A source familiar with the call told Mediaite’s Tommy Christopher that Biden and Harris joined the call to thank their team and express their determination to win. Biden stated, “I’m in this race to the end and we’re going to win because when Democrats unite, we will always win. Just as we beat Donald Trump in 2020, we’re going to beat him again in 2024.” Harris added, “We will not back down. We will follow our President’s lead. We will fight, and we will win.”
