Democratic senator criticizes Biden campaign’s ‘dismissive attitude’ after debate

A Democratic senator chastised President Biden’s re-election campaign for their aggressive attempt to quell intensified age concerns in the wake of a disastrous debate performance which sent tremors through the Democratic Party.

“I really do criticize the campaign for a dismissive attitude towards people who are raising questions for discussion. That’s just facing the reality that we’re in. That’s hardly — I won’t repeat their term,” Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., told Semafor in a Monday phone interview, alluding to their use of “bedwetting” in a weekend campaign email. “But that’s the discussion we have to have. It has to be from the top levels of the Biden campaign to precinct captains in the southside of Chicago.”

“The campaign has raised the concerns themselves,” Welch said. “So then to be dismissive of others who raise those concerns, I think it’s inappropriate.”

The Biden campaign has argued the debate didn’t alter the election’s trajectory, citing its strongest grassroots fundraising hauls in the two days after the debate. The team on Tuesday announced it raised $264 million in the second quarter, nearly half of it in June in its strongest month yet.

Welch added the party has an “existential responsibility” to voters to keep former President Donald Trump from winning a second term. On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision that a president can be immune from prosecution for official acts taken in office. Welch said that ruling underscored the necessity for a candid dialogue about having Biden lead the Democratic ticket.

Welch said he’s also heard plenty of concern from Democratic donors in the days since the debate, which he called a “serious setback.” He added Democrats maintain an enormous respect for Biden and his legislative achievements, but the party has a bigger responsibility to ensure victory in November.

“Passivity is not the response that is going to work for us. We all have to be self conscious,” Welch said. “We all have to be acutely aware that our obligation is to the country, even more than the party. That’s the obligation we have — what’s best for the country.”

Asked if Biden can remain on the ticket and win in November, Welch said it was the “challenge” of the campaign to overcome “damage” from the debate and show an energetic Biden in unscripted settings.

In recent days, President Biden has acknowledged his poor debate performance while campaign officials seek to assuage deep unease among elected Democrats, party activists and donors. The Biden campaign circulated an internal poll on Monday indicating the competitive race remained unchanged compared with an earlier poll conducted in May.

Still, Democratic senators said they were alarmed with Biden’s poor debate performance. “I think like a lot of people, I was pretty horrified,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-RI, told WPRI 12 News. “I think people want to make sure that this is a campaign that’s ready to go and win, that the president and his team are being candid with us about his condition — that this was a real anomaly.”

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., a White House ally and campaign surrogate, told CNN that he’s urging Biden to hold more press conferences so he can demonstrate his fitness for office.

Biden on Monday evening addressed the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling from the White House, warning it would place “virtually no limits on what the president can do.” But his remarks lasted less than five minutes and he took no questions.