Biden's make-or-break day
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President Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on May 20. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
President Biden's future as his party's 2024 nominee faces a potentially pivotal test Tuesday when Democratic senators meet for the first time since his disastrous debate performance.
Why it matters: Senate Democrats returning to Washington on Monday made clear they have a lot to hash out regarding Biden's future — with several allies in the chamber where Biden served for more than three decades raising questions about whether he should step aside.
The big picture: The message from skeptical Senate Democrats to Biden was simple: Prove that you're up to the task of defeating former President Trump.
- Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), a longtime Biden ally, said the president's debate performance "raised a lot of questions." When asked later if Biden will be the nominee, Durbin said, "We'll see."
- Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), who floated a meeting of Senate Democrats over the weekend to discuss Biden's future, said it is "incumbent upon the President to more aggressively make his case to the American people."
- Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) said Biden "needs to continue to demonstrate that his debate performance was just a bad night."
Zoom in: Democratic Senators will hold a caucus meeting Tuesday afternoon, where lawmakers and Democratic sources say they will discuss Biden's path forward.
- The views coming out of that session could be make-or-break for Biden, who shot back hard Monday against the rising number of congressional Democrats calling for him to drop his re-election bid.
- In an appearance on MSNBC, Biden blasted his critics and challenged them to take him on at the party's August convention.
Zoom out: The Senate discussion is scheduled to follow a morning House Democratic caucus meeting that's also expected to focus on Biden's candidacy.
- At least four House Democratic committee leaders said on a Sunday call with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) that Biden should end his 2024 candidacy, according to three senior House Democrats.
- Senate Democrats — at least until now — have been comparatively reluctant to speak out against Biden following his debate performance, even as concerns have spiked among Biden officials, House Democrats and major party donors.
- But that could change following Tuesday's meeting, potentially affecting the viability of Biden's campaign going forward.
Between the lines: Biden notably still has the support of Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who told reporters Monday as he arrived at the Capitol: "As I've said before, I'm for Joe."
- And Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada) said Monday on X that it was "time for us" to have Biden's back.
Yes, but: As Axios first reported, Schumer signaled to political allies before the debate that he was open to options other than Biden if the faceoff with Trump didn't go well.
Go deeper: Biden tells Democrats to "end" talk of him withdrawing
