A new book about the upcoming 2024 election reveals that Democrats and their donors had to pause their campaign due to a disappointing debate performance by former President Joe Biden.
This incident unfolded on June 27, 2024, when Biden’s top advisors watched the events unfold from CNN’s Atlanta headquarters.
Just minutes after the debate, Biden struggled with questions regarding the national debt, mistakenly mentioning “non-seeker” and lost track of his argument while attempting to defend his immigration policies.
“Honestly, I have no idea what he said at the end of that sentence,” former President Donald Trump commented, echoing the confusion.
Thompson and Tapper, who led the commentary alongside CNN’s Dana Bash, noted that Biden seemed unaware of how poorly he had performed. Jake Tapper appeared at a loss for words, while Jill Biden attempted to distract him by showing off his Philadelphia Phillies cuff link.
A senior Democrat who worked on Biden’s campaign expressed that after witnessing the debate, they questioned who was actually running the country.
Mike Donilon, a former senior advisor to Biden, remarked that while Biden’s performance was bad, he felt it was manageable. Yet, the president appeared to struggle, sniffing and hesitating as he tried to establish his case for reelection, leaving other Democrats exasperated.
Former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki described the situation as an “absolute disaster,” voicing concerns about Biden’s performance and health, particularly as he continued to cough throughout the debate.
That evening, around 50 House Democrats convened for a watch party in Washington, D.C., just weeks after rallying to support Biden.
“We’re going to lose our democracy because of you!” shouted director Rob Reiner at a watch party in Los Angeles, speaking to second gentleman Doug Emhoff.
“I just lost my job,” one lawmaker lamented to House Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar (D-Calif).
“What transpired was simply unacceptable,” another Democrat told House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY). “We need to take action.”
At Biden’s campaign headquarters in Delaware, staff members felt a sinking dread, describing the scene of the 81-year-old president faltering as if they had all been punched in the gut.
Chris Colgi, chairman of the Biden Victory Fund’s finance committee, shared a somber moment with DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison and Campaign Manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez at the Atlanta watch party that same night.
“We’re done,” Colgi reportedly stated. “It’s over.”
In Los Angeles, prominent donors, including a Democratic governor and Doug Emhoff, were quick to react, moving rapidly to secure funds amid the rising panic.
Harris expressed surprise at the chaos, observing the discussion from a nearby meeting room. After appearing on CNN to defend Biden’s performance, she complained to her staff about not being treated with the respect due to her position.
First Lady Jill Biden later attempted to quell doubts about her husband’s fitness during a watch party but unintentionally made matters worse with overly enthusiastic praise.
“Joe, you did such a good job!” she exclaimed, which she would later acknowledge had come off poorly.
“You answered every question perfectly! You knew all the facts!” she added.
In a moment that raised eyebrows, Biden quoted a John Wayne film while taking a jab at Trump and his supporters, calling them “pony soldiers with the face of a lying dog.”
When asked about potential cognitive decline during a recent interview, Biden firmly denied that he or his team had concealed any issues from the public.
The book, titled “Original Crime: President Biden’s Decline, Cover-up and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,” is set to be released on May 20th.
