House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, spoke with President Joe Biden on Thursday night, he announced in a short official letter to his caucus on Friday morning.
Jeffries said he requested the meeting, and Biden granted it, to stop the bleeding after another disastrous day for his reelection hopes.
As the conference progressed, more House Democrats publicly called on Biden to drop out of the race, a trend that continued into Friday morning.
Jeffries had little to say about the meeting, other than conveying House Democrats’ concerns about Biden’s continued candidacy.
“In my conversation with President Biden, I directly conveyed the extensive insights, heartfelt views and conclusions about the way forward that our caucus shared in our recent meeting,” he wrote.
“In my conversation with President Biden, I directly conveyed the extensive insights, heartfelt views and conclusions about the path forward that our caucus shared during our recent meeting.” https://t.co/7UK7yTRHna pic.twitter.com/kEAGtshp06
— Aishah Hasnie (@aishahhasnie) July 12, 2024
Jeffries diplomatically downplayed the five-alarm fires Biden is battling within the House Democratic caucus. At least 17 lawmakers had called on Biden to resign as of Friday morning, with some reports saying they were postponing his resignation until after the July 9-11 NATO summit in Washington, DC.
While introducing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the summit on Thursday, Biden referred to him as Russia’s “Putin” – Putin is Biden’s enemy in the ongoing war with Ukraine, which Biden supports. The mistake spread quickly and critically undermined Biden’s mission to reassure the American people – as well as the donors and critics who have abandoned him in droves – that he is firmly in charge.
“President Putin”?! See Biden’s fiasco when he tried to introduce Ukrainian President Zelensky
White House
Biden’s highly publicized Thursday night news conference – his first in eight months – was similarly lackluster, with him making yet another gaffe, calling Vice President Kamala Harris “President Trump” and drawing looks of apparent distress on the faces of his Cabinet members.
Co-candidate? Biden calls Kamala Harris “Vice President Trump” in press conference
Jeffries did not say how he would steer the caucus regarding Biden’s future, but Biden has maintained his support and vowed to continue campaigning.
But Democrats, particularly those in Congress (many have publicly expressed concern, but only Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vermont) has called for Biden to step down), have shown little sign that Biden’s belated damage control has appeased them.
Democrats have lambasted Biden for causing the biggest political disaster of his decades-long career, days after his crushing defeat in the June 27 debate, when he holed up behind closed doors with family and aides, including his son Hunter Biden, a convicted felony, and a growing list of critics questioning his ability to continue.
Debates within the House Democratic caucus are likely to continue into the weekend, especially as lawmakers face-to-face with constituents in their districts.
In his letter, Jeffries noted that “we had a thoughtful and wide-ranging discussion about the future of our country at a time when freedom, democracy, and the economic well-being of ordinary Americans are at stake. Our discussions were candid, calm, and inclusive.”
At some point, the debate has to end and Democrats have to make their position on Biden clear: Should he stay or should he go?
Bradley Jay is Capitol Hill correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter. translator.
