Allies Rally in Support of Biden During Family Retreat at Camp David

President Joe Biden spent Sunday at Camp David with his family, while prominent Democrats publicly showed strong support for his campaign. This came after his shaky debate performance and rising concerns about his candidacy. Democratic Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina stated, "I do not believe that Joe Biden has a problem leading for the next four years."

Support from Allies

Biden's allies appeared on Sunday talk shows, admitting that his debate performance against Republican Donald Trump was below par. They urged voters to focus on Biden's long-term record and Trump's numerous falsehoods during the 90-minute debate. Privately, Biden's campaign has been addressing concerns over his performance, especially after he sounded raspy and struggled to finish sentences.

Sen. Rafael Warnock of Georgia, a Democrat and Baptist minister, compared Biden's debate to his own experiences with sermons. "There had been more than a few Sundays when I wish I had preached a better sermon," he said. He emphasised that Biden has consistently shown up for the people he serves throughout his life.

Trump's Claims and Media Response

During the debate, Trump made several false claims about the January 6 Capitol attack, immigration, and the 2020 election outcome. Warnock noted, "Whenever his mouth was moving, he was lying." Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham praised Trump's performance and accused the media of hiding Biden's condition. Graham said Trump "was strong. He was clear. He was coherent," while calling Biden "compromised."

Behind closed doors, some Democrats expressed concern that Biden's campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) were not taking the impact of Biden's performance seriously enough. DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison and Biden's campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez held a call with committee members but did not allow questions.

Fundraising Success

Despite the debate concerns, Biden's campaign reported raising over USD 33 million since Thursday, with USD 26 million from small donations, including many first-time donors this cycle. Thursday marked their best grassroots fundraising day, followed by Friday as the second best.

Biden addressed supporters at a North Carolina rally on Friday, appearing energised and animated. He acknowledged his age by saying, "I know I'm not a young man — to state the obvious." He added, "I don't walk as easy as I used to. I don't speak as smoothly as I used to. I don't debate as well as I used to."

Internal Campaign Dynamics

Biden's team has been working to keep donors and surrogates on board since the debate. Michael Tyler, Biden campaign communications director, stated there had been no internal discussions about Biden stepping aside despite acknowledging his "bad night" on stage.

Advocates like Clyburn highlighted Biden's rally in North Carolina where he seemed more animated than during the debate. Clyburn’s support was crucial in Biden’s South Carolina primary win in 2020.

Biden travelled with his family to Camp David after a New York fundraising event on Saturday. The trip also served to take family photographs for the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August.

Even before the debate, Biden’s age had been a concern among voters. The prime-time faceoff seemed to reinforce these worries before perhaps the largest audience he will have until Election Day. CNN reported that over 51 million people watched the debate.

Joe Salazar, an elected DNC member from Colorado who was on the call with Harrison and Rodriguez, felt they were being misled about the situation. "We were being gaslit," Salazar said.

Biden concluded his rally speech by saying, "I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong... And I know how to get things done." His words were met with rousing cheers from supporters.

The campaign continues its efforts to maintain momentum despite internal concerns and public scrutiny following the debate performance.