Democrats' private fears about Biden are slowly going public
Despite President Biden's efforts to quell dissent and keep his party unified behind his candidacy, congressional Democrats continue to raise concerns that he will lose in November — and take down ballot Democrats with him.
Lawmakers have said both publicly and privately that the party is badly fractured on the issue, giving heightened power to drips of information from individual members who choose to voice their opinions. Public concern began to pick up after CNN reported that Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., privately told fellow senators at a Tuesday closed-door meeting that he worried that Trump would win in a landslide and take the House and Senate with him.
"It's true that I said that," Bennet repeated in an interview on CNN. "Donald Trump is on track, I think, to win this election and maybe win it by a landslide and take with him the Senate and the House."
Bennet previously chaired the Senate Democrats' campaign committee.
It is a high stakes battle within the party as most members agree there is little time to change course if Biden chooses to step aside.
Oregon Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley, asked about Sen. Bennet's comments, told NPR, "I do share those concerns and so do many of my colleagues."
Asked if Biden should withdraw, Merkley added, "I think President Biden should look at all of the information and carry on detailed conversations with key leaders, including Leader Schumer and Leader Jeffries, and should do what's best for the nation." He acknowledged that leaders and rank and file members are "extremely worried."
Biden campaign officials are set to meet directly with senators on Thursday, according to a Senate leadership source who was granted anonymity to speak about private plans.
Democrats will hold a special meeting at their campaign headquarters near the Capitol to hear from senior Biden advisers Mike Donilon and Steve Ricchetti and Biden campaign Chair Jen O'Malley Dillon, according to the source.
Fears about Biden have been reverberating among frontline Democrats who are running in highly competitive districts and states. On Wednesday, New York Rep. Pat Ryan joined Rep. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey as the latest at-risk Democrats calling on Biden to step aside.
Even some close allies like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., have carefully avoided speaking directly to questions about whether Biden should drop out. Speaking in an interview on MSNBC's Morning Joe, Pelosi reiterated that she believes Biden has been a great president, but she took a careful approach to questions about his future.
“It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run,” she said. “We’re all encouraging him to to make that decision. Because time is running short.”
The public panic is frustrating Biden loyalists who say Democrats are undermining the president and their own chances in the election by publicly venting their concerns. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., told reporters Biden is a great president and he doesn't think the venting is helpful.
"He’s the only one that’s kicked Trump’s ass in the election," Fetterman said. "And it’s going to be close like it was always going to be close and I think he’s going to win on that."
Asked about Bennet’s comments, Fetterman said, “Well, I hope he got out whatever he hoped out of it.”
Merkley, asked about the path forward for the party, told NPR, "Democratic leadership and just Democratic members of Congress are extremely worried."
NPR's Susan Davis and Claudia Grisales contributed to this report.
Transcript
SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
Congressional Democrats are still divided about whether President Biden should remain their party's nominee for president. But increasingly, some are saying in public something that they have been privately worrying about, that Biden could lose to Trump in November and bring down Democrats' hopes of flipping the House and keeping control of the Senate. NPR congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh joins us now from the Capitol. Hey, Deirdre.
DEIRDRE WALSH, BYLINE: Hey, Scott.
DETROW: You have been talking to Democrats for two weeks about this, and it looked like the Biden campaign's efforts to stop the bleeding was working. But then, Deirdre, today, it seemed like there was a new wave of deep concerns that became public.
WALSH: I really think the vibes on this among House Democrats seem to be shifting by the hour. The public support from leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Hispanic Caucus did appear to stem more public calls for Biden to withdraw. But Democrats from critical swing states and purple House districts are seeing polls that their races are tighter.
At a private lunch yesterday with Senate Democrats, Colorado Senator Michael Bennet said he thought the President could lose in a landslide and take the House and Senate with him. CNN reported that first, and then Bennet went public with an interview. I talked to Oregon Democrat Jeff Merkley, who said many of his colleagues and he agree with Bennet. When I asked him if Biden should withdraw, he stopped short.
JEFF MERKLEY: I think President Biden should look at all of the information and carry on detailed conversations with key leaders including Leader Schumer and Leader Jeffries and should do what's best for the nation.
DETROW: And Deirdre, we have one key input that it looks like the campaign is really scrambling here to respond to senators.
WALSH: Right. They are. A Senate leadership source tells NPR that Biden's top White House and campaign advisers are coming up to Capitol Hill tomorrow to have a special lunch meeting with all Senate Democrats.
DETROW: What about the leaders, though? I know you've been watching them very closely, and they are the influential voices here. What are they saying?
WALSH: You know, publicly, both Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries say they support Biden. But it was notable yesterday that Schumer was pressed three different ways whether Biden is still viable as the nominee. And three different times, he gave the same three word answer, quote, "I'm with Joe."
Jeffries has just been in listening mood. He's heard another call today from a fellow New York Democrat, Pat Ryan, who's running for reelection in a swing district. Ryan said, Joe Biden is a patriot but is no longer the best candidate to defeat Trump and said he should step aside.
DETROW: So there is a shift happening here. But still, it's hardly a flood of lawmakers calling on Biden to withdraw, right? So what dynamics could change that?
WALSH: Right. I mean, I think tomorrow's sit-down with Biden senior aides and Senate Democrats will be critical. Multiple Democrats I talked to are trying to give President Biden some space. They got this letter from Biden days ago saying he's made the decision that he's not leaving. But a lot of Senate Democrats and House Democrats don't seem to take that as the final answer. They're now avoiding saying outright that he should go and instead saying the President should make, quote, "the decision that's best for the country.".
There was just a lot of attention on comments by another top leader, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, this morning on MSNBC. After the debate, she publicly backed Biden in multiple interviews. But today, she urged people not to go public with concerns because Biden's hosting this NATO summit, but she also said it's up to the president - decide if he's going to run, and time is running short.
This race was always going to be close. That's something that Biden supporters stress. But all Democrats really want to get back to making the contrast with Trump and what another Trump term could mean for issues that Democrats care about.
DETROW: Yeah. That's NPR's Deirdre Walsh. Deirdre, thank you so much.
WALSH: Thanks, Scott. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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