Biden Tells Key Ally He’s Considering Whether to Stay in Race, Per NYT

AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

The New York Times on Wednesday reported that President Joe Biden told a “key ally” his presidential campaign may not be able to be saved if he cannot right the ship following his disastrous debate last Thursday.

The Times reported , “‘He knows if he has two more events like that, we’re in a different place’ by the end of the weekend, said the ally, referring to Mr. Biden’s halting and unfocused performance in the debate. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive situation.”

The report by White House correspondent Katie Rogers comes amid heavy pressure from inside the Democratic Party for Biden to step aside. President Biden is set to hold an “emergency meeting” with Democratic governors to address concerns following the debate — the first-ever debate Trump has won during an election cycle.

“The conversation is the first indication to become public that the president is seriously considering whether he can recover after a devastating performance on the debate stage in Atlanta on Thursday. Concerns are mounting about his viability as a candidate and whether he could serve as president for another four years,” wrote Rogers of the gravity of her report.

Rogers also quoted a “top Biden advisor” telling her that the president is “well aware of the political challenge he faces.”

White House Senior Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates reacted to Rogers’s story, writing , “This claim is absolutely false and if we had been given more than 7 minutes we could have communicated this before it was publicized.”

This is a developing story and has been updated.