Amid growing calls within the Democratic Party for President Biden to withdraw from the race, a handful of Democratic governors voiced their support for the president after meeting with him at the White House on Wednesday.
“The feedback was that we’re all looking for a path to victory. All of the governors agreed with that, President Biden agreed with that,” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said outside the White House, along with New York Gov. Kathy Hockle and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.
Walz noted that Biden has supported governors throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and that “the governors are supporting Biden.”
“The path to victory in November is the top priority, and that’s the president’s No. 1 priority,” he continued.
When asked by a reporter if Biden was fit to be president, Walz replied “yes” and acknowledged Thursday’s debate was a “poor performance.”
After the meeting, Biden’s re-election campaign said all 20 or so governors who participated in person and online “reiterated their shared commitment to helping Biden win in 2024.”
The campaign said he met with the governors to “discuss our continued collaboration” on the campaign, and that the president “sought their advice and expertise” on defeating former President Trump in November.
“The meeting also focused on the importance of electing Democrats to both the House and Senate to increase the number of Democratic governors and ensure Democratic majorities in state legislatures and state legislatures across the country,” the campaign said.
Moore, who is considered a rising star in the Democratic Party and has been mentioned as a possible successor to Biden, called his meeting with Biden and Harris “honest” and “candid.” He said the governors made clear the concerns they had with Biden and those they had heard.
“We said we support the president. The president has always supported us. We’re going to support the president,” Moore said.
Haukle said the governors “pledged their support” for Biden during the meeting.
Biden began by saying no one was trying to oust him and that he was in it to win, according to a source briefed on the meeting, who added that Biden looked and sounded better than he has in recent years.
Biden also told the governors in attendance that he wanted to be more proactive in the streets and speak unscripted, with the source adding that they asked him “some pretty blunt and tough questions.”
Vice President Harris spoke toward the end of the meeting, urging Democrats to unite, according to sources.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who attended the meeting, echoed her colleagues’ sentiments in a post on X.
“Joe Biden is our nominee. He is fighting to win, and I support him,” Whitmer wrote.
Wednesday’s governors meeting was part of an effort by the White House and Biden to stop the bloodshed following Biden’s disastrous performance in the debate.
Republicans quickly condemned the meeting, calling it “unrealistic.”
“Democrats across the country, including Biden’s allies, are now openly urging President Biden to halt his campaign, while Democratic governors are still in the ‘denial’ stage of the grieving process,” said Courtney Alexander, spokeswoman for the Republican Governors Association.
Biden and his aides have insisted the president will continue to campaign, while Democratic activists, former aides and two current House Democrats have called on Biden to step down since the debate.
And on Wednesday night, Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) said he was “taking this time to really think about the best strategy for Democrats to win this election.”
“Raising further bets when the current strategy is not working is hardly the right decision. President Biden is not getting any younger,” Moulton said.
As part of the cleanup effort, Biden met early Wednesday with Democratic congressional leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer of New York and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York.
Story updated at 9:47 p.m. EDT
