President Joe Biden, 81, reportedly tried to soothe the fears of donors and supporters about his age, energy level, and his chances of defeating former President Donald Trump.
Democrats, for months, raised concerns about Biden’s 2024 chances due to poor polling about his age and physical stamina:
- Redfield & Wilton Strategies: A majority of Democrats are “concerned” about Biden’s ability.
- YouGov: Fifty-five percent say Biden’s health and age “severely” limit his ability to do the job.
- NBC News: Most registered voters have “major” concerns about Biden’s age and health.
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“Biden has held roughly a half-dozen meetings, in groups ranging from four to eight people, since he launched his campaign in April, but many of them occurred just before the holidays,” three sources told the Washington Post Wednesday on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations:
People familiar with the meetings say there is no set agenda, and the conversations have covered a range of topics, including how to take on former president Donald Trump, the Israel-Gaza conflict and abortion rights. Jeffrey Katzenberg, the movie mogul who is a national co-chair of Biden’s campaign and a longtime Democratic fundraiser, has been organizing the meetings.
Biden’s meetings with the donors at the White House might not be legal.
“There are certain rooms in the White House, particularly in the residence, that are not covered under the Hatch Act,” Kedric Payne, ethics director at the Campaign Legal Center, told Axios.
“The president is allowed to legally meet with and entertain donors at the White House,” Payne added. “But you cannot give campaign contributions or solicit for campaign contributions while in the White House.”
White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said Biden’s meetings are totally “typical.”
“It is typical for any president, regardless of party, to host supporters at the White House complex, which is both a working office as well as a personal residence,” he told Axios. “President Biden and his team take all rules concerning the White House and re-elections seriously, and we’re proud of that.”
Biden’s attempt to calm donors’ fears comes amid a rash of negative polling for the president.
- Morning Consult: Trump has been more popular than Biden for ten straight weeks.
- WSJ: Only 23 percent of voters say Biden’s policies have helped them.
- CNN: A majority say there is “no chance” they would vote for Biden in 2024.
Wendell Husebo is a political reporter with Breitbart News and a former GOP War Room Analyst. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality. Follow Wendell on “X” @WendellHusebø or on Truth Social @WendellHusebo.
