Bidens, Democrats Consider Next Steps

Prominent members of the party said Sunday that Democrats have nothing to worry about if President Biden remains their nominee, though a few acknowledged concern—which could be increased by the devastating findings of a new poll. Biden made no public appearances Sunday; he was spending the day at Camp David with his wife, children, and grandchildren in a gathering scheduled before his shaky debate performance against Donald Trump on Thursday night. The day was being partly devoted to taking family photos to be used at the Democratic National Convention in August, per the AP. Biden's family urged him to stay in the race, the New York Times reports. Developments include:

• Democratic talks: "We're having a serious conversation about what to do," Rep. Jamie Raskin said Sunday in an MSNBC interview. He maintained that the party will be united whether Biden decides to stay on the ticket or not, NBC News reports. Raskin described the talks as "very honest, and serious and rigorous."

• Donors: Big-money supporters are split, per CNN, with some saying a campaign to pressure Biden to leave the race would create more of a mess and others urging no action until the political repercussions from the debate become clearer. Another faction less connected to the president wants to start identifying a replacement nominee.
• A 'go' vote: Tom Harkin, an Iowa Democrat who served with Biden in the Senate for more than two decades, said the president can't recover from the debate debacle. He told Democratic senators in an email seen by the AP that they should send Biden a letter asking him to release his delegates to the convention, clearing the way for a new nominee. "This is a perilous time, and is more important than the ego or desires of Joe Biden to stay as President," Harkin wrote.
• Party support: A close ally who was pivotal in helping Biden secure the nomination last time stood firm Sunday. "I do not believe that Joe Biden has a problem leading for the next four years," South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn said. "Joe Biden should continue to run on his record."

• The blame: Biden's family members are among the Democrats expressing frustration, or worse, at the way staff members prepared the president for the debate, per the Times. John Morgan, a top donor, named names in a post on X: Ron Klain, Anita Dunn, and Bob Bauer. "They need to go … TODAY," Morgan wrote. "The grifting is gross. It was political malpractice." Other supporters pointed out that family members and others critical of the aides didn't attend the debate prep and can't know what went on.
• The look: Among the family questions is why the president was made up to appear pale despite arriving for the debate with a summer tan. Biden himself is not blaming aides, per the Times, and others called it unfair to blame staffers for the president's performance.

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• The voters: One of the first measures of voter sentiment since the debate showed major declines in the share of those who believe Biden has the cognitive health to be president. The CBS News/YouGov survey released Sunday found that 72% don't believe Biden's mental health is adequate, while 27% say it is. As recently as June 9, 35% of registered voters considered Biden up to the task mentally. Respondents split evenly on whether Trump has the mental capacity. More voters said Biden was truthful during the debate than said the same about Trump, and most Democrats still said the president should stay in the race. Dunn said that the campaign's internal polling showed Biden gaining ground after the debate, though she acknowledged the surveys reflected the weak performance.
• Commentary: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution joined the New York Times over the weekend in calling for Biden to step aside, per the Hill. David Remnick argues in the New Yorker that Biden would put the nation at risk by remaining the nominee.

(More President Biden 2024 stories.)