President Joe Biden is leaving his staff “miserable” as he pushes on with his reelection campaign in defiance of voices calling for him to step aside – both from within his Democratic base and without, a report Friday claims.
The revelation comes as the octogenarian heads into a make-or-break week of planned events all while his campaign efforts teeter on the precipice of collapse.
Axios reports Biden’s determination to push on in the wake of his disastrous debate showing is best seen in his insistence he will not be challenged, much to the despair of those whose job it is to keep him functioning at the highest level possible.
“Everyone is miserable, and senior advisers are a total black hole,” a White House official told the outlet. “Even if you’re trying to focus on work, nothing is going to break through or get any acknowledgment” from bosses.
Ashley Biden (R) points to her father U.S. President Joe Biden as they arrive to watch the Independence Day fireworks display from the Truman Balcony of the White House in Washington, DC, on July 4, 2024. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
The Axios story goes on to relate a high-ranking Democratic National Committee (DNC) official expounded: “The only thing that can really allay concerns is for the president to demonstrate that he’s capable of running this campaign.
“Everything else feels like ‘Weekend at Bernie’s’ by his inner circle to prop him up.”
Such is the worry around Biden, 81, by his campaign team it is reported aides “have created a cocoon around him that initially seemed earnestly protective, but now appears potentially deceptive in the debate’s aftermath.”
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Helping Biden make up for mental lapses, including prompting him to remember people he has known for a long time, is one aspect of the tasks assigned to his inner sanctum of advisers.
Despite the efforts to reassure staff, not everyone is convinced it is working as the president continues to stumble eagerly from one disappointment to the next.
The Axios report said Biden’s remarks to campaign and DNC officials Wednesday, “seemed stilted and scripted, raising further questions among staffers who’ve wondered whether his tight inner circle is being honest about his abilities.”
Biden heads to Madison, Wisconsin, on Friday for a face-to-face interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos in his first on-camera exchange since last week’s very public debate disaster.