Can Biden’s Meeting With Democratic Governors Revive Confidence After Debate Fumble?

President Joe Biden is set to meet with Democratic governors on Wednesday to address growing concerns about his ability to serve a second term following a devastating debate performance last week.

The event is scheduled to take place at 6:30 p.m. ET, according to the White House.

Can Biden's Governors Meeting Fix Debate Fallout?

The details of the meeting, which is expected to include a video call for those not attending in person, are still being finalized, as reported by three sources familiar with the planning. The Biden campaign has declined to comment, as reported by NBC News.

Democratic governors held a phone call on Monday, according to two Democratic sources, to discuss the party's path forward after the debate. The call was organized by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, and involved no staff members from the White House or the Biden campaign. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who played a crucial role in securing the Democratic National Convention for Chicago, was also on the call.

Concerns were expressed by the governors regarding Biden's poor debate performance. "There isn't a strategy being suggested, and there's concern about what's coming next. What's the president going to do to counter the impression left by the debate?" one of the sources said, as reported by NBC News.

The source added that everyone on the call still supports the Biden campaign. "What everybody needs is reassurance. No one suggested that we need to go in another direction," this person said. During Monday's call, the governors suggested to Walz that they would like to have a call with Biden, which ultimately led to the meeting scheduled for Wednesday night at the White House.

"Democratic governors are some of the President and Vice President's most proactive and vocal supporters because they've seen how the Biden-Harris Administration's accomplishments are directly benefiting their residents," another person familiar with the Monday call with governors said in a statement. "The Biden/Harris team is in constant communication with the governors and their teams, including about yesterday's meeting," as per US media report.

Separately, White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients will hold an all-staff call at 12:30 p.m. ET Wednesday, according to a source familiar with the planning. Staff members will be advised by Zients to "weather the storm" and "keep their heads down."

The call will include more junior staffers, some of whom have expressed frustration that they are not being informed of developments. The purpose of the call is to amplify the message that Zients delivered to senior staff members - a much smaller group of about 40 - on Friday, when both he and Biden senior adviser Anita Dunn acknowledged the debate and said there would "always be challenging days."