It Begins: Democrat Candidates Distance Themselves from Joe Biden

House and Senate Democrat candidates began distancing themselves from President Joe Biden over the weekend after his terrible debate performance.

Many down-ballot Democrat candidates in battleground states or districts will face increased headwinds come November due to the president’s lack of popularity.

A party’s lead candidate, such as Biden, should ideally attract voters to down-ticket candidates, but that hope appears to be fading after Biden’s highly criticized debate performance.

“I don’t ever want to see him here,” one lawmaker told Axios of Biden, adding, “Every single donor — and I’m only calling major donors — is furious and wants him to step aside.”

Swing district Democrat House members are “freaking out” about Biden’s impact on their races, a senior House Democrat said, based on discussions with them.

“I’m still processing what happened [Thursday] night,” Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) told the Wall Street Journal. “It was a terrible debate. We all have to acknowledge that.”

Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK), a new member of Congress who represents a Republican-leaning district, told Axios she is “not thinking about anybody’s race but my own.”

Republicans believe they can flip the Senate and potentially retain the House. Before the debate, Washington insiders gave Republicans a greater chance of winning the Senate and losing the House. All bets appear off after the debate.

“Going into witness protection doesn’t change the fact that extreme House Democrats knew for months that Joe Biden wasn’t fit to serve,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Will Reinert said of the Democrats’ distancing themselves from Biden.

Biden reportedly devised an eight-point public relations campaign over the weekend to remain the Democrat Party’s de facto nominee. The public relations campaign plan follows a two-day huddle with family members at Camp David reportedly to weigh Biden’s precarious political position.

Biden, who many media allies and Democrats said should drop out of the race, will press forward and remain a candidate for president, top officials told Axios. The decision appears heavily influenced by First Lady Jill Biden and additional family members, such as Hunter Biden, people who talk regularly with them told Axios.

The new public relations strategy includes more public interviews and press conferences. The plan is a change from Biden’s lack of media availability, a tactic criticized by the media, especially the New York Times.