A Tuesday meeting with swing state Democrats reportedly featured “actual tears” as lawmakers discussed President Joe Biden’s determination to continue running against former President Donald Trump amid major fallout from Biden’s recent debate with Trump.
According to Axios, just prior to a Tuesday meeting with Congressional Democrats, a group of swing state Democrats met together amid reports of a “disintegrating” effort by some Democrats to replace Biden as the Democratic nominee. The Post Millennial reported that swing state Democrats have faced pressure amid uncertainty over how Biden could impact races up and down the ballot.
According to Axios, one Democrat lawmaker described Tuesday’s meeting as “intense,” while another lawmaker claimed that “there were actual tears from people, and not for Biden.” While some Democrats continue to express concerns regarding the president’s electability and his potential affect on the ballot in swing states, one Democrat who was in both meetings said, “Most of our caucus is still with him … meaning he’ll stay in. Which sucks for our country.”
As top Democrats rally behind the president, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), who previously urged Biden to withdraw from the 2024 campaign and allow another Democrat to run against Trump, said, “Whether or not I have concerns is besides the point. He is going to be our nominee and, we all have to support him.”
READ MORE: Video: Biden would not be directly contacted if a nuke was launched after 11 pm: Report
According to Axios, a House Democrat indicated Monday night that the attempt by some members of the Democratic Party to put pressure on Biden to drop out of the presidential race is “folding all over the place.” The anonymous House Democrat also said that many Democrats in Congress are “becoming resigned to Biden holding all the cards here, and us having no real say in the matter.” The lawmaker added, “As someone who wanted the reckoning and is really disappointed that it’s over, trust me: it’s over.”
In a letter to congressional Democrats on Monday, Biden doubled down on his commitment to campaign against Trump.
“The question of how to move forward has been well-aired for over a week now. And it’s time for it to end. We have one job. And that is to beat Donald Trump,” Biden stated. “We have 42 days to the Democratic Convention and 119 days to the general election. Any weakening of resolve or lack of clarity about the task ahead only helps Trump and hurts us.”
According to Axios, Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) described Biden’s letter as a “preemptive effort to try to discourage any questions.”
