The family of United States President Joe Biden has told him to stay in the race for a second term in office despite a disastrous debate performance, as some family members criticised how his staff had prepared him for last week’s face-off against challenger Donald Trump.
Biden spent Sunday at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland, with the first lady, Jill Biden, his children and grandchildren.
While the trip was scheduled previously for a shoot with photographer Annie Leibovitz for the upcoming Democratic National Convention, it also became an exercise in trying to figure out how to quell party anxiety following Thursday’s dismal showing.
While his family was aware of how poorly the 81-year-old performed against Trump, they also think he remains the best person to beat the Republican and that he is capable of doing the job of president for another four years, the Associated Press news agency reported, citing people who asked to remain anonymous because they were not authorised to speak publicly about internal discussions.
Jill Biden and her son Hunter, the people he listens to most in the world, were among the most vociferous supporters, the AP added.
The New York Times, quoting people close to the situation, also said that Biden’s family was urging him to stay in the race and keep fighting. The paper said some of the family privately expressed exasperation at how his staff had prepared him for Thursday night’s event.
Calls for Biden to step aside have continued since Thursday when the president appeared raspy, trailed off and at times gave convoluted answers.
According to a CBS News poll conducted in the two days following the debate, nearly three-quarters of registered voters in the US now believe Biden should not be running for president, including 46 percent of Democrats.
“The unfortunate truth is that Biden should withdraw from the race, for the good of the nation he has served so admirably for half a century,” the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said in an editorial on Sunday. “The shade of retirement is now necessary for President Biden.”
The day after the debate, the New York Times’s editorial board also called on Biden to step aside.
