Joe Biden Huddles with Hakeem Jeffries to Stop Bleeding as Democrats Continue Abandoning President

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) met with President Joe Biden Thursday night, he announced in a brief formal letter to his caucus Friday morning.

Jeffries said he requested the meeting, which Biden granted in an attempt to stop the bleeding after another disastrous day for his reelection hopes.

As the meeting was underway, more House Democrats officially asked Biden to leave the race, a trend continuing into Friday morning.

Jeffries offered few insights into the meeting, saying little beyond that he conveyed the concerns of House Democrats about Biden’s continued candidacy.

“In my conversation with President Biden, I directly expressed the full breadth of insight, heartfelt perspectives and conclusions about the path forward that the Caucus has shared in our recent time together,” he wrote.

Jeffries diplomatically underplayed the five-alarm fire Biden is fighting inside the House Democratic Caucus. At least 17 members have asked him to resign as of Friday morning, with some reports suggesting members have held off until the conclusion of the July 9-11 NATO summit in Washington, DC.

While introducing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the summit on Thursday, Biden referred to him as Russian “President Putin” — Ukraine’s foe in its ongoing war, which Biden has propped up. The mistake quickly went viral, critically undermining Biden’s mission to reassure the American public — as well as the donors and pundits abandoning him in droves — that he maintains a firm hand on the wheel.

“President Putin”?! Watch Biden’s Epic Fail Trying to Introduce Ukraine’s Zelensky

White House

Biden’s ballyhooed Thursday night press conference — his first in eight months — was no better. Among the additional gaffes committed, Biden referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump,” causing visible pain to emerge on the faces of members of his cabinet.

Joint Ticket? Biden Calls Kamala Harris “Vice President Trump” in Press Conference

Jeffries did not tip his hand on the direction he would lead his caucus regarding Biden’s future. Biden has insisted he maintains support and has pledged to remain in the race.

However, Democrats, especially in the House (only one senator, Peter Welch (D-VT), has called for Biden to step aside, although many have publicly expressed concerns), have given little indication that Biden’s delayed damage control has assuaged them.

Democrats have blasted Biden for huddling with his family, including his convicted felon son, Hunter Biden, and close advisers in the days after his disastrous June 27 debate performance, abandoning the narrative to an escalating list of detractors questioning his ability to solider on and causing the biggest political disaster in Biden’s decades-long career.

Discussions inside the House Democratic Caucus will likely continue through the weekend, particularly as members face voters in their districts.

In his letter, Jeffries referenced “thoughtful and extensive discussion about the future of our country, during a time when freedom, democracy and the economic well-being of everyday Americans are on the line. Our discourse has been candid, clear-eyed and comprehensive.”

At some point, discourse must end, and Democrats must make clear where they stand on Biden — should he stay, or should he go?