One White House official said, 'everyone is freaking the f--- out'
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Democrats and White House aides are angry over President Biden and his closest allies acting like it's business as usual following the president's rocky debate performance, causing panic among members of the party.
"Everyone is freaking the f--- out," one official told Axios.
The president's performance in the debate against former President Trump on Thursday has caused some of Biden's closest allies in the media to question whether he is the best person to beat the presumptive GOP nominee in November.
"I don't know who's making decisions," one House Democrat told Axios. "Why the hell isn't Biden on the phone with congressional leadership?"
BIDEN TO GRANT FIRST POST-DEBATE INTERVIEW TO ABC'S GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS FRIDAY
President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump participate in the CNN Presidential Debate at the CNN Studios on June 27, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
"Everybody now thinks he could cost us the majority," the Democrat continued.
The White House said Biden had spoken to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, according to Axios. The president is also expected to meet with Democratic governors to reassure them after his debate performance.
ABC News' George Stephanopoulos is set to interview Biden on Friday for a Sunday airing — the president's first interview since the debate.
The president acknowledged his debate performance during a fundraiser in Virginia on Tuesday and blamed the bad performance on his world travels.
"I decided to travel around the world a couple of times," Biden said, according to reports. "I didn't listen to my staff."
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President Joe Biden looks on as he participates in the first presidential debate of the 2024 elections with former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at CNN's studios in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 27, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
Biden joked to donors at the event that he "almost fell asleep on stage" during the debate, and said, "It's not an excuse but an explanation."
Following his back-to-back travel, however, the president rested for two days in Delaware before spending six in Camp David prepping for the debate, The New York Times reported.
"It's the first topic of every conversation," a White House official told Axios. "Senior leadership has given us nothing. To act like it's business as usual is delusional."
Others told the outlet that Biden was not giving them a reason to have faith in his candidacy.
"It's dark," a Biden campaign official told Axios. "It feels like there is zero leadership or information. People are being told to keep their heads down and keep working, but they're not seeing the president or being given any reason why they should have faith in him."
During a press briefing on Tuesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre repeatedly told reporters Biden just had a "bad night" and said he had a cold. She was also asked point-blank if Biden suffers from Alzheimer's or dementia, as the reporter reminded her, "it's a yes or no question."
"Are you ready for it? It's a no. And I hope you're asking the other guy the same exact question," Jean-Pierre responded, referring to Trump.
Hanna Panreck is an associate editor at Fox News.
