First Dem senator publicly breaks with Biden
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Sen. Michael Bennet at the U.S. Capitol on Monday. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) said Tuesday night that President Biden was likely to lose re-election in November, dealing a blow to the 81-year-old's efforts to contain damage on Capitol Hill.
Why it matters: Bennet is the first Senate Democrat to publicly break with Biden, as the president's allies try to reassure members of their party that Biden should be their presidential nominee.
- "Donald Trump is on track, I think, to win this election and maybe win it by a landslide," Bennet said on CNN Tuesday.
- Bennet is one of three Senate Democrats who privately said Tuesday that they doubt Biden can beat former President Trump, as we reported earlier.
Driving the news: Senate Democrats huddled together Tuesday for the first time since before Biden's poor debate performance, and left without a clear path forward.
- Several Democratic senators have said the party needs to have a conversation about whether Biden should remain at the top of the ticket after hearing concerns from constituents.
- But they left the meeting Tuesday with their positions unchanged and arguing conversations about the future need to continue.
Between the lines: Democrats have voiced concerns that Biden's candidacy could be a drag on down-ballot races — a fear Bennet shared.
- Bennet said Trump could "take with him the Senate and the House" if he wins in the fall.
What they're saying: Biden campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz said in a Tuesday night statement to Axios that "no one" was "more committed" to beating Trump and "defending our democracy" than Biden, "and few know better than Joe Biden the importance of showing up and campaigning to earn" voters' support.
- "This was always going to be a close race — and the dynamics at play are the ones we've long anticipated: voters continue to be deeply concerned by Donald Trump and his harmful agenda, and the more we engage and reach out to voters, the more they support President Biden," Munoz added.
What's next: All eyes are on Biden's performance at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Washington this week.
Go deeper: Behind the Curtain: Unbendable Biden vs. breaking-point Dems
Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from Biden campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz.
