Scoop: Inside House Democrats' anti-Biden vent session
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President Biden at the D.C. Emergency Operations Center on July 2, 2024. Photo: Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A pre-planned meeting of House Democrats focused on the party's political messaging devolved into a grievance fest about President Biden, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The episode reflects a growing frustration in Congress toward Biden and his campaign that is now spilling out into public view.
Driving the news: The virtual meeting Tuesday afternoon was a listening session the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC) held to go over messaging ahead of the 2024 election.
- Much of the meeting was taken up by members expressing their irritation and misgivings toward Biden and his team, according to a member in the meeting and another source briefed on the matter.
- Biden was repeatedly referred to derisively as the "donkey in the room," both sources said.
- One House Democrat shared in the meeting that the phone calls he has received have been overwhelmingly negative toward Biden, while Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) alerted members of his statement calling for Biden to withdraw from the presidential race.
What they're saying: "There were a lot of people not very happy," the lawmaker who was in the meeting told Axios.
- They warned that Doggett's statement will not be a "one-off" and more members will likely follow his lead if the White House doesn't "start to show that they get it."
- Another Democratic lawmaker said even members who support Biden "feel like, at a minimum, he needs to show a decisive change in course by replacing his top campaign advisers," while others "think he should step aside outright."
What we're watching: One of the lawmakers and a House Democratic leadership source said Biden still had not called House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) as of Tuesday evening.
- Jeffries has publicly offered his support for Biden, but Democratic leadership is not "holding people back" from criticizing Biden in public, the lawmaker said, noting that Doggett had notified leadership of his plans.
- White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a press briefing on Tuesday that Biden is "going to have some time to talk to ... Democratic leadership on the phone." She said there is "regular engagement" with congressional leadership offices at the staff level.
- Several House Democrats have told Axios they would like to see Biden address the whole Democratic Caucus to mollify concerns about his candidacy.
The other side: "The President has spoken personally with multiple elected officials on the Hill and across the battlegrounds since the debate," Biden campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt said in a statement.
- The Biden campaign has also emphasized that he is "absolutely not dropping out."
- Biden received statements of support from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Tuesday, with the campaign stressing an influx of donations and volunteers.
