Ron Klain, a former chief of staff to President Joe Biden, is calling for an end to Democratic “panic” after Biden’s NATO news conference averted disaster and a Friday morning NPR/Marist/PBS News poll showed Biden narrowly leading President Trump.
“In the wake of yesterday’s press conference and this new poll, it’s time to stop panicking and unite behind the Democratic nominee and the only person who could beat Trump,” Klain declared in a post on X.
With yesterday’s press conference and this new poll, it’s time to stop panicking and unite behind the Democratic candidate and the only person to beat Trump.https://t.co/UELE5yicgq
— Ronald Klain (@RonaldKlain) July 12, 2024
His post, Said Polls showing Trump’s lead, including in the Rust Belt states that will determine the outcome of the election, are “broadly as expected,” New Republicof Greg Sargent’s Daily Blast podcast. He also shared his belief that Biden is “doing a little better” than the polls suggest.
NEWS -> Ron Klain, a key Biden ally, acknowledged to me that the polls showing Trump with a solid lead are “mostly” correct, but he argues there’s still a ways to go.
On the podcast, Klain spent 20 minutes answering tough questions about Biden’s path forward.https://t.co/YIyZ9BkcYp
— Greg Sargent (@GregTSargent) July 11, 2024
“But as I’ve said all along, this is a very close race. I’m not saying Joe Biden is going to win, but I firmly believe he’s the best Democratic candidate and the one most likely to beat Trump because of the way he’s beaten him so far,” Klain added.
NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll show Biden is buoyed after his shaky debate performance and widespread talk of a possible swap of the nominee among those on the left afterward.
The poll has Biden at 50 percent approval rating, Trump at 48 percent. On June 18, just over a week before the debate, Marist College polled Biden and Trump at 49 percent approval rating.
Biden’s big news conference on Thursday night was not without its quibbles: Just hours before taking to the stage to address reporters, Biden introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin,” before quickly correcting himself.
WATCH: ‘President Putin’?!’ Watch Biden botch his attempt to introduce Ukraine’s Zelensky
During the press conference, he referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump.”
Watch: Biden calls Kamala ‘Vice President Trump’ during press conference as co-candidate
Jen Psaki, a former senior Biden staffer and former White House press secretary, said on MSNBC after the press conference that Biden was buying the campaign time.
“This does not mean that we have won the electoral process because the struggle and the middle process is the real challenge and the uncertainty is the challenge for the lower ranking candidates,” she added.
Jen Psaki says Joe Biden’s NATO summit press conference bought him time, but purgatory continues for Democrats. Basil Smick counters that if Democrats are stuck in purgatory for another week, “it’s over.”
Psaki: “The problem with this argument is…” pic.twitter.com/2TQa6urYas— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) July 12, 2024
