Biden Still Has Support Despite Debate Performance, Majority 'Don't Want Him to Quit'

A recent poll shows that President Biden still enjoys majority support from the Democratic Party base, even after his debate performance. White House chief of staff Jeff Zients held an all-staff meeting to urge team members to tune out the "noise" and focus on governing, as senior aides scramble to contain the political fallout from Biden's disastrous debate performance.

President Biden still enjoys majority support from the Democratic Party base, even after his debate performance, according to a recent poll. CNN polling analyst Harry Enten said Wednesday that Biden still has strong support from the Democratic Party base.

White House chief of staff Jeff Zients held an all-staff meeting Wednesday to urge team members to tune out the "noise" and focus on governing, as senior aides scramble to contain the political fallout from Biden's disastrous debate performance.

Biden Still Has Support Despite Debate Performance, Majority 'Don't Want Him to Quit'

Zients acknowledged that the days since the Atlanta matchup between Biden and former President Trump have been challenging, but he stressed to White House aides the accomplishments and the track record of the Democratic administration. He said governing will only become more crucial once the campaign season heats up, particularly after the Fourth of July holiday.

Biden himself began making personal outreach on his own, speaking privately with senior Democratic lawmakers such as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, and South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn.

Biden Still Has Support Despite Debate Performance, Majority 'Don't Want Him to Quit'

On Capitol Hill, there is increasing anxiety as Biden has been slow to reach out to top Democrats and rank-and-file members. Top Democratic lawmakers also voiced their outrage to Axios about Biden dragging his feet in reaching out to the party's leadership in recent days.

The members took particular issue with Biden's deflection, saying that his handling of the debate fallout, rather than the debate performance itself, could cost Democrats chances of flipping the House or maintaining their majority in the Senate in November.

Biden Still Has Support Despite Debate Performance, Majority 'Don't Want Him to Quit'

Democrats are unsatisfied with the explanations of Biden’s debate performance from both White House staff and Biden himself. There is a deeper frustration among some Democrats who feel Biden should have handled this much sooner and has put them in a difficult position by staying in the race.

Zients tried to rally the staff’s confidence in Biden’s re-election apparatus, noting that the president has a "strong campaign team" in place. He also told staff that Biden has always made it through tough times, despite being counted out during his decades in public office.

Biden Still Has Support Despite Debate Performance, Majority 'Don't Want Him to Quit'

Zients also encouraged aides to "continue being a team" and, while acknowledging the increasing political chatter, to "tune it out" and stay disciplined. He urged White House staff to ask questions and offer feedback.

Staff-wide White House calls aren’t unusual, but Wednesday's 15-minute check-in came as Biden and senior White House officials were working to assuage rattled lawmakers, donors, and other allies within the party amid sharpening questions about whether the 81-year-old president had the competency to run for a second term in office.

According to Axios, major Democratic donors are now planning to move large contributions to House and Senate candidates before what they see as a likely second term for Trump.

Biden’s re-election campaign planned a staff-wide call of its own and says it will "be using emails and all staff calls more frequently to make sure you all have the latest updates and broader campaign priorities for the day," according to a memo sent Wednesday by campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon and campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez. The memo insists the election between Biden and Trump will still be close, seeking to downplay the lasting effects of the debate.

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were also scheduled to hold one of their sporadic lunches on Wednesday, and the president planned on hosting an assortment of Democratic governors at the White House in the evening.

Among the Democratic governors who planned to attend in person were Tim Walz of Minnesota, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, Maura Healey of Massachusetts, Daniel McKee of Rhode Island, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Andy Beshear of Kentucky, and Gavin Newsom of California.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy planned on attending virtually.