CNN’s Jake Tapper suggested President Biden’s interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” did little to ease voter fears.
Appearing on “Morning Joe” on Monday, Biden went on the offensive against those calling for him to drop out of the race. The president insisted he has no plans to withdraw and challenged others to challenge him at the Democratic National Convention, but Tapper suggested that won’t be enough to calm fears among Democrats.
Tapper played a clip from the MSNBC morning show on CNN’s “The Lead.”
“I’m frustrated that elites in our party are saying, ‘Oh, they know so much more,'” Biden said Monday.
Tapper later commented on the video, saying Biden was “trying to frame what’s going on as a conflict between the rank and file voters who support him and the elites – the Democratic Party donors, lawmakers and opinion formers.”
“The reality is that Democratic elites have often been slower to recognize these age and ability issues than the general public. They have been forced to take this seriously after the debate just 11 days ago,” Tapper said.
Tapper also directly quoted Biden in an interview Monday morning, suggesting that Biden’s comments may not have been reassuring to his supporters.
“‘The reality is, how can I guarantee that when I go to work tomorrow, I’m going to be OK? Age isn’t the idea that I’m too old,'” Tapper said on “The Lead,” citing Biden’s comments Monday morning.
“Please remember, this brief statement was intended to reassure upset Democrats,” Tapper continued. “Many of the Democratic Party members I’ve spoken to are concerned that President Biden, his family and aides appear to be in complete denial not only that there might be anything wrong with the president, but also his current position as a presidential candidate.”
Tapper, who co-moderated the first presidential debate between former presidents Trump and Biden last month, criticized Biden’s team for not holding a press conference following his poor debate performance.
“Despite increasing pressure on the public to demonstrate their ability to persuasively answer lengthy questions about what the president wants to do for America, his message, his plans and his policies, the president and his team have not held a press conference to demonstrate just that,” he said.
Biden and his team have spent the days since the debate trying to convince voters, Democrats and lawmakers in his own party that he is still the best candidate to support. Many Democrats, including members of Congress, have called on Biden to step aside in the wake of the debate’s shaky performance.
He stressed on “Morning Joe” that he has no plans to quit.
“The bottom line is, we’re not going anywhere. I’m not going anywhere,” he said. “I’m not letting up, Joe. I’m not letting up one bit.”
The Hill has reached out to the Biden campaign about Tapper’s remarks.
