Congressional Democrats are gathering for a crucial meeting to discuss President Biden's future this morning. Notably, President Biden himself will not be in attendance.
Less than 24 hours ago, Biden issued a strongly worded two-page letter to Democrats on Capitol Hill, making it clear he has no intention of stepping aside. In the letter he supposedly wrote, the president emphasized the need to end the intra-party drama and focus on the upcoming election.
We have 42 days to the Democratic Convention and 119 days to the general election. Any weakening of resolve or lack of clarity about the task ahead only helps Trump and hurts us. It's time to come together, move forward as a unified party, and defeat Donald Trump.
Biden's press secretary faced scrutiny from reporters about a Parkinson's doctor's repeated visits to the White House after the release of Biden's letter.
Despite the White House's unwavering stance, a sense of urgency and concern has gripped the Democratic Party. There is a palpable sense of unease among many lawmakers, especially those in swing seats.
They are convening in a private, cell-phone-free meeting this morning to discuss their concerns and strategize.
While Biden's assertive approach has rallied, or at least silenced, most party leaders, others remain apprehensive, as the Daily Beast reports:
“Democrats—especially those in the frontline—are getting savaged every day and the White House and the campaign are just sitting there while they burn,” a second Democratic source who works with members in swing districts told The Daily Beast.
The source suggested the “let them eat cake” attitude from Washington won't work.
“The amount of negative press that's being generated is enormous,” the swing district consultant said, “and it's frontline House members who are taking a beating while the White House and campaign send ineffective letters and tweet nasty things about the press.”
The attempts to spin the narrative did little to sway returning Democratic members of Congress who were at least partly willing to acknowledge the seriousness of their situation.
“The most important thing for Democrats or for the country is to beat Donald Trump,” Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) said upon arriving back in DC. “And we just arrived. And so it's important that we have in person family conversations about the best way to do that. And I'm not going to comment further.”
When asked whether Biden's insistence on staying in the race might negatively affect his legacy, Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-MD) demurred.
“I'm not at the legacy point yet,” Ivey replied.
When pressed, the congressman said that Democrats were still in a position to win the White House.
However, he also stated that they were in an “even better” position to win back the House of Representatives.
