President Biden's campaign team recently issued a memo to all staff members, aiming to alleviate concerns about his re-election prospects following a debate performance that drew widespread criticism.
The memo, which Fox News obtained, underscores internal campaign polling data that suggests a neck-and-neck race with former President Trump.
The memo states, "We are going to see a few polls come out today and we want you all to hear from us on what we know internally and what we expect to come externally. Polls are a snapshot in time and we should all expect them to continue to fluctuate it will take a few weeks, not a few days, to get a full picture of the race." This internal communication was signed by campaign Chair Jen OMalley Dillon and campaign manager Julie Chvez Rodrguez. It presents internal polling data from battleground states before and after the debate, indicating a half percentage point drop for Biden during that time.
The memo also anticipates a forthcoming poll from The New York Times/Siena College, which it predicts will show a slightly larger swing in the race. It reminds staff that, "just last week, the NYT themselves acknowledged that they are often a polling outlier."
At 81, Biden, the oldest president in the nation's history, is experiencing a challenging phase in his bid for a second term. His debate performance, marked by hesitant delivery and faltering responses, triggered widespread concern within the Democratic Party. It also led to calls from political commentators, editorial writers, and some party donors for Biden to step down as the party's 2024 standard-bearer. A growing number of House Democrats have also suggested that the president should abandon his re-election bid.
Despite these concerns, Biden's campaign has consistently maintained that the president has no plans to withdraw from the race. "The president is in this race to win it," principal deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks asserted in a CNN interview.
Two national public opinion polls conducted post-debate and released on Tuesday raised red flags for Biden. A CNN poll revealed that 75% of voters and 56% of Democratic-aligned voters believe the Democratic Party would have a better chance of retaining the presidency if Biden were replaced. The poll suggested that Vice President Kamala Harris would fare slightly better than Biden in a hypothetical contest with Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee.
Trump holds a six-point lead over Biden among registered voters nationwide, a figure consistent with CNN's previous poll in April and with Trump's lead in CNN polling since last fall. However, in a hypothetical matchup, the vice president trails Trump by just two points, according to the poll.
The release of the CNN poll followed a USA Today/Suffolk University survey, which showed Trump with 41% support and Biden with 38% among registered voters nationwide. While Trump's lead in the new survey falls within the poll's margin of error, it also revealed other warning signs for Biden. Forty-one percent of Democrats polled expressed a desire to see Biden replaced at the top of the Democratic Party ticket.
David Paleologos, Director of the Suffolk Political Research Center, commented, "There's no question the debate sent out shock waves across the political landscape. Democrats in the poll are offering tough love to President Biden by saying to him, 'You've served us well, but try to see yourself last Thursday night through our eyes. Hold your head up high, it's time to go.'"
This memo's release, first reported by Politico, occurred just hours before Biden was scheduled to meet with Democratic governors and congressional leaders. This meeting followed a conference call among Democrat governors to discuss the debate's fallout, organized by Democratic Governors Association Chair Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota. Fox News sources confirmed that the Biden campaign was informed about the call in advance.
Several governors, including those speculated as potential replacements should Biden decide to withdraw from his re-election bid, acknowledged the President's shaky debate performance but pledged their continued support.
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