Amid growing calls for President Joe Biden to step aside following a faltering debate performance, his son Hunter Biden is urging him to remain in the presidential race, according to media reports citing sources familiar with the situation.
Biden spent Sunday at the Camp David presidential retreat with his wife Jill Biden and his children and grandchildren, where they encouraged him to stay in the race, reports from The New York Times and the Associated Press indicate. Among the most adamant about Biden continuing his campaign is his son Hunter, who Biden often relies on for advice.
“Hunter Biden wants Americans to see the version of his father that he knows — scrappy and in command of the facts — rather than the stumbling, aging president Americans saw on Thursday night,” The New York Times reported, citing people informed about the discussions speaking under the condition of anonymity. Hunter and Jill Biden have been strong voices urging the president to stay in the race, believing that he is still the best candidate to beat Trump and that he can recover from “one subpar performance,” according to the AP, which also cited anonymous sources.
The family has reportedly questioned whether the president’s staff could have better prepared him for the debate. The New York Times mentioned that the family was closely scrutinizing Biden’s staff, particularly White House advisor Anita Dunn, her husband Bob Bauer (Biden’s personal attorney), and Biden’s former White House chief of staff Ron Klain. Dunn is a close adviser to Biden, Klain managed the debate preparations, and Bauer role-played as Trump during rehearsals. Despite the criticism, Biden himself still trusts this trio of advisers and is not blaming them, according to sources. Jill Biden also is not critical of them, a person close to her indicated.
“The aides who prepped the President have been with him for years, often decades, seeing him through victories and challenges. He maintains strong confidence in them,” Biden campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz stated, according to Politico.
Biden has long faced questions about his age and mental acuity. During Thursday’s debate, the 81-year-old president appeared shaky, stumbled over his answers, and seemed to lose his train of thought at times. His weak performance has led to panicked conversations among Democrats about whether to replace Biden on the ticket just months before the election, which would be unprecedented in modern times. The only way for Biden to be replaced at this stage would be if he chose to step down. Despite mounting concerns and pressure from within his own party, Biden is reportedly determined to stay in the race.
At a campaign rally on Friday, Biden acknowledged his poor debate performance but expressed his unwavering belief in his ability to do the job. “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. But I know what I do know: I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong. And I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done. And I know, like millions of Americans know, when you get knocked down you get back up,” Biden said.