Skeptics of President Joe Biden and his ability to weather a tough presidential campaign ahead may be getting the spotlight, but the president on Monday retained the trust of many House Democrats, including in key parts of the party.
House Democrats are set to have their weekly party meeting Tuesday morning, their first since the June 27 debate and a week’s worth of cleanup and attempts at reassurance by Biden since.
Unlike most of the weekly gatherings, this one will take place off the U.S. Capitol campus and, in an unusual move, members have been warned they will have to give up their phones at the start, presumably to lessen the chances of live leaking to reporters.
For some, the matter is simple.
“Joe Biden is our president. He is the Democratic nominee and we’re going to fight like hell to get him reelected,” Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) said early Monday evening.
While New Mexico has been mentioned as one state potentially in play if Biden’s support weakens further, Stansbury doubts that.
Stansbury said that, at political events she attended over the weekend, she saw only enthusiasm when she talked about Biden and his accomplishments.
“I think people understand what a consequential president he’s been and they are more motivated than ever to get back out there, to get on the campaign trail,” she said.
Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, said Biden retains his support and that of many other members of the group. The CBC was slated to have a Zoom meeting with Biden on Monday night.
“So long as he’s in the race, I’m with him,” Johnson told reporters ahead of the Zoom meeting.
“My sense is that the president enjoys strong support among the CBC,” he added.
Biden got a boost Monday from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). Jeffries, in his first public comments since Biden’s interview Friday night, told CNN, “I made clear the day after the debate, publicly, that I support President Joe Biden…
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