A private meeting with officials reportedly took place less than a week after the US president’s disastrous debate against Donald Trump
President Joe Biden informed a group of Democratic governors that he underwent a medical checkup following his underwhelming performance in last week’s election debate against Donald Trump, according to Politico, citing anonymous sources.
During the CNN-hosted debate with his Republican rival last Thursday, the 81-year-old Biden appeared fatigued and lost his train of thought on several occasions. Most commentators, from both Republican and Democrat parties, have concluded that Trump emerged victorious in the meeting, which was the first of two planned debates ahead of the November 5 presidential vote.
One survey has also indicated that 72% of registered voters do not believe that Biden has the “mental and cognitive health necessary to serve as president.”
Following Biden’s poor showing, numerous US media outlets have reported growing pressure within the Democratic Party and among major donors for him to withdraw from the election.
Politico reported on Wednesday that the US president held an hour-long private meeting with over 20 Democratic governors earlier in the day, during which he mentioned a recent medical checkup when asked about his physical condition.
Politico quoted an unnamed source familiar with Biden’s schedule as clarifying that he was referring to a brief checkup by a White House physician in the days following the debate, which did not involve any major tests. Biden reportedly informed the governors that he was deemed to be in good health after the medical check.
During the meeting with governors, the Democratic hopeful also reportedly reiterated that he would not be pressured to exit the race, stating that he was “in it to win it.” Biden attributed his poor performance in the debate to his failure to adjust his schedule ahead of the faceoff with Trump, as reported by Politico.
Previously, his campaign had cited a cold as the reason for his underwhelming performance.
Also on Wednesday, Bloomberg cited an anonymous “senior party official” as claiming that dozens of Democrats in the US Congress are considering sending a letter demanding that Biden suspend his reelection campaign.
They are allegedly concerned that his weak candidacy could result in a “Republican sweep of Washington and an unchecked Donald Trump presidency.”
In the aftermath of last week’s debate, several liberal-leaning media outlets have openly called on Biden to step aside.