President Biden is stepping up his offensive as he seeks to ward off speculation that he will step down as the Democratic top contender following an internal party uproar over his poor performance in the debate with former President Trump.
Biden’s new ruthless strategy is a stark difference from last week, when some complained he was slow to call Democrats to fight back amid growing calls for him to retreat.
Democrats close to the Biden campaign say the move is intended to buy Biden and his advisers time as they wait out the clock ahead of the Democratic National Convention and to position Biden as the person in control of vaccinations.
“This strategy is a defiant one,” said one strategist close to Biden’s inner circle. “It’s basically saying, ‘I’ve won the delegates, so I control the process,’ and it’s basically saying, ‘I control the narrative. Democratic voters voted me for the nominee, and I’ll be the nominee within a few weeks.'”
Biden wrote to Democratic lawmakers on Monday that it was time for them to unite behind him to defeat Trump, firmly rejecting calls for him to resign before lawmakers return to Congress.
“The question of how to move forward has been under discussion for over a week now, and it is time for it to end,” Biden wrote in the letter. “We have one job: to defeat Donald Trump. We have 42 days until the Democratic National Convention and 119 days until the general election. Any weakening of resolve or lack of clarity about the agenda ahead will only help Trump and hurt us.”
“It’s time to come together, to move forward as a party and defeat Donald Trump,” Biden added.
At the same time, the president appeared live on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” show on Monday to hit back at his critics.
After co-host Mika Brzezinski introduced Biden as the presumptive Democratic nominee, Biden laughed and said, “I’m more than the presumptive. I’m going to be the Democratic nominee.”
“The bottom line is, we’re not going anywhere. I’m not going anywhere,” Biden told Brzezinski and co-host Joe Scarborough. “I wouldn’t be running if I didn’t absolutely believe I was the best candidate to beat Donald Trump.”
Later that day, Biden, in a call with major Democratic donors, said “we’re done talking about debates” and vowed to beat Trump.
“We can’t waste any more time being distracted,” he told fundraisers.
More than a dozen Democratic strategists, activists and donors interviewed by The Hill acknowledged they’re not sure the president’s approach will ultimately work.
Questions continue to swirl about the president’s health and strength. The New York Times reported Monday that Parkinson’s disease experts from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center visited the White House eight times over an eight-month period between September and this spring, including one visit to meet with Biden’s doctor, the Times reported. The White House disputed the report, saying Biden’s tests showed no signs of Parkinson’s and that the president is not being treated for the condition.
Still, Democrats welcomed Biden’s new stance, calling it a significant and welcome change from the president’s approach last week.
One former Biden administration official said this is “good political strategy” for Biden and his team. “They’re moving forward with gusto,” the strategist said.[Democratic]Leaders appear to be either silent or in favor, but it’s unclear whether there is a group of Democrats willing to jump in front of the train.
A former administration official said the strategy could be effective, given the time factor — the Democratic National Convention starts in six weeks. “Every week he’s the nominee means the odds of him being the nominee increase,” the official said.
That said, time is running out to overcome divisions within the party and unite behind a candidate.
“We have some time to see how things settle down, but not much,” said former Rep. Steve Israel of New York, who served as chairman of the Democratic House Campaign Committee.
Israel said Biden could use this week’s NATO summit in Washington to remind donors, activists and voters of his leadership and “continue to prove to the public that the debate was a one-off.”
But Israel added that “clarity is important and this atmosphere of doubt and despair should not continue beyond the middle of this month.”
Democratic strategist Jim Manley acknowledged he had been watching the debate’s aftermath “with obvious trepidation” and said Biden’s lack of engagement last week was also hard to understand.
“The idea that it takes four or five days to get in touch [House Minority Leader Hakeem] Jeffries and [Senate Majority Leader Chuck] “Schumer made a political blunder,” Manley said.
But the revised strategy is “a warning,” Manley added. “If his goal is to stay in the race, that’s absolutely the right thing to do. They’re sending a strong message to Congress that they’re not backing down, they’re drawing a line.”
After Biden’s call with donors, one Democratic fundraiser was feeling a little more optimistic than the day before: “If Biden has backbone, how can you not feel good?”
