Team Biden says they are ‘done talking about’ president's disastrous debate
The White House is over talking about President Biden’s poor debate performance last month and is moving on to focus on the race against former President Trump.
The White House is over talking about President Biden’s poor debate performance last month and are moving to focus on the race against former President Trump.
Biden aides and administration officials told CNN this week that they’ve had enough with talk about the debate and the media scrutiny of the president’s performance for nearly two weeks now.
"We’re done talking about the debate and focused on a singular mission: Defeating Donald Trump in November," one Biden aide told the outlet.
TRUMP GETS BOOST IN POST DEBATE POLLS AFTER BIDEN'S BOTCHED PERFORMANCE
President Joe Biden looks on as he participates in the first presidential debate of the 2024 elections with former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at CNN's studios in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 27, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
Biden’s poor debate performance continues to be the dominating narrative surrounding his re-election campaign, with pundits and even some Democratic Party officials calling for him to suspend his re-election campaign. Many worry that he is headed for a loss in November.
But Biden’s people are reportedly tired of the constant coverage on the issue, telling CNN they just want to get on with their lives.
The outlet reported on Wednesday, "Aides to the president told CNN that not only are they no longer interested in discussing Biden’s on-stage fiasco last month, and there are simply no outstanding questions about the president’s political future to debate. Biden is staying in the race, they say, and there is nothing that could change that."
An unnamed senior administration official told the outlet, "I’m moving on to my day job."
Despite it being nearly two weeks after the debate, questions about Biden’s performance and competence still inundate White House press briefings and are the subject of Biden’s media appearances.
The outlet noted that even "Diplomats in Washington for the NATO summit this week are nervous about whether Biden will be able to defeat Trump a second time," and predicted that Biden’s upcoming Thursday press conference at the event will see him face numerous questions about the debate and his fitness for office.
TRUMP EYES EXPANDING THE MAP AMID BIDEN POST-DEBATE DEMOCRATIC TURMOIL
Members of Biden's team say they are solely focused on beating former President Trump in November. (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst )
Still, his team has insisted that Biden is not backing down from beating Trump in November. When asked what the chances are that the president could withdraw from the race, a "longtime" Biden adviser replied, "Zero. He truly believes he is the only person who can defeat Donald Trump. It’s not an act."
The adviser also mentioned that even if Biden’s support in Washington, D.C. fails, only his close family can persuade him to step down. "Jill and Valerie won’t let him go down in flames," the anonymous official said, referring to the first lady and the president’s sister.
Biden has dismissed talk about him stepping down on multiple occasions since the debate, telling a crowd at the White House July 4th celebrations, "I’m not going anywhere." He also sent a letter to Democratic lawmakers this week urging them to come together amid the debate fallout and support his re-election bid.
His letter stated, "The question of how to move forward has been well-aired for over a week now. And it’s time for it to end. We have one job. And that is to beat Donald Trump."
He added, "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."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The White House and Biden campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Fox News First
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.