“I didn’t listen to my instincts in terms of preparing,” Biden told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos in an excerpt that aired Friday evening.
Yet Biden’s rigorous efforts to course correct from his debate performance were not yet quelling internal party frustrations, with an influential Democratic senator working on a nascent push to encourage the president to exit the race and Democrats quietly chatting about where they would go next if the president drops out — or what it would mean if he stays in.
Still, campaigning in Wisconsin, Biden was focused on proving his capacity to remain as president. When asked whether he would halt his campaign, he told reporters he was “completely ruling that out” and said he is “positive” he could serve for another four years. At a rally in front of hundreds of supporters in the battleground state, he again acknowledged his subpar debate performance but insisted, “I am running, and I’m going to win again.”
“I beat Donald Trump,” a forceful Biden said as the crowd cheered and waved campaign signs. “I will beat him again.”
Biden, relying on a teleprompter for his remarks, attacked his presumptive Republican challenger almost immediately, laying into Trump by pointing out that the former president once said that “George Washington’s army won the revolution by taking control of the airports from the British.”
As the crowd laughed, Biden continued, “Talk about me misspeaking.”
The rally preceded the interview that could be a watershed moment for the 81-year-old Biden, who is under pressure to bow out of the campaign after his debate performance against Trump, 78, ignited concern that the Democrat is not up for the job for another four years.
While private angst among Democratic lawmakers, donors and strategists is running deep, most in the party have held public fire as they wait to see if the president can restore some confidence with his weekend travel schedule and his handling of interview, which will air in full on ABC on Friday night.
Sen. Mark R. Warner reached out to fellow senators thoughout this week to discuss whether to ask Biden to exit the race, according to three people familiar with the effort who requested anonymity to talk about private conversations.
The Virginia Democrat’s moves are notable given his role as chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee and his reputation as a lawmaker who has supported Biden and developed working relationships with colleagues in both parties. Warner’s effort was first reported by the Washington Post.
The strategy remains fluid. One of the people with knowledge of Warner’s effort said there are enough Senate Democrats concerned enough about Biden’s capacity to run for reelection to take some sort of action, although there was yet no consensus on what that plan would be. Some of the Democratic senators could meet as soon as Monday on how to move forward.
The top Democrats on House committees are planning to meet virtually Sunday to discuss the situation, according to a person familiar with the gathering granted anonymity to talk about it.
At least four House Democrats have called for Biden to step down as the nominee, with Rep. Mike Quigley of Illinois joining Reps. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, Lloyd Doggett of Texas and Raúl M. Grijalva of Arizona in pushing for an alternative.
“President Biden has done enormous service to our country, but now is the time for him to follow in … George Washington’s footsteps, and step aside to let new leaders rise up and run against Donald Trump,” Moulton told the radio station WBUR on Thursday.
There were also a few signs of discontent at Biden’s campaign rally Friday, with one supporter on stage waving a sign that read “Pass the torch Joe” as the president walked onto the stage. His motorcade was also greeted at the middle school by a few people urging him to move on.
But others were pleased. Rebecca Green, a 52-year-old environmental scientist from Madison, said she found Biden’s energy reassuring. “We were just waiting for him to come out strong and fighting again, the way we know he is,” she said.
Many Democratic lawmakers, who are hearing from constituents at home during the holiday week, are split on whether Biden should stay. Privately, discussions among the House Democrats flared this week as word spread that some of them were drafting public letters suggesting the president should quit the race.
Yet pushback from other House Democrats was fierce.
“Any ‘leader’ signing a letter calling for President Biden to drop out needs to get their priorities straight and stop undermining this incredible actual leader who has delivered real results for our country,” said Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), an influential member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Biden appears to have pulled his family and inner circle closer while attempting to prove that he’s still the Democrats’ best option for competing in November’s election.
The presence of Hunter Biden in the West Wing since the debate has become an uncomfortable dynamic for many staffers, according to two Democrats close to the White House who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.
For many staffers, the sight of Hunter Biden, weeks after his conviction on felony gun charges, taking a larger role in advising his father has been unsettling, they said.
Biden’s reelection campaign is pushing ahead with aggressive plans. It plans to pair his in-person events with a $50-million ad campaign this month meant to capitalize on high-viewership moments such as the Summer Olympics, which begin in Paris on July 26.
Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, First Lady Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff are scheduled to travel to every battleground state this month, with Biden in Pennsylvania on Sunday.
In a memo released Friday, the campaign also emphasized that Biden would participate in “frequent off-the-cuff moments” — once a hallmark of the gregarious, glad-handling politician’s career that have dwindled throughout his presidency.
For Biden, every moment now is critical to restoring the lost confidence stemming from his shaky performance in Atlanta last week. Yet the president continued to make slipups that did not help that effort.
In a hastily organized gathering with more than 20 Democratic governors Wednesday evening, Biden acknowledged that he needs to get more sleep and limit evening events so he can be rested for the job, according to three people granted anonymity to speak about the private meeting.
In trying to explain those comments, White House Press Secretary Jean-Pierre stressed that Biden “works around the clock” but that he “also recognizes the importance of striking a balance and taking care of himself.”
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who attended the meeting, said Biden “certainly engaged with us on complicated matters.”
“But then again, this is something that he needs to not just reassure Democratic governors on, but he needs to reassure the American people,” Beshear said.
Associated Press writers Long and Kim reported from Madison. The AP’s Todd Richmond in Madison; Dylan Lovan in Louisville, Ky.; and Will Weissert, Zeke Miller, Mary Clare Jalonick, Aamer Madhani, Lisa Mascaro and Josh Boak in in Washington contributed to this report.