President Biden's family expressed concerns about his recent debate performance and the role of his staff, as the president and first lady Jill Biden remained at Camp David until Monday night. Sources revealed that during a gathering at Camp David, Biden's family members encouraged him to stay in the race and criticized his staff's preparation for the debate.
The family specifically blamed senior adviser Anita Dunn, her husband Bob Bauer, and former chief of staff Ron Klain for not adequately preparing the president to be more aggressive and focus on his vision for the future. They also questioned why Biden appeared overworked and tired during the debate.
Despite acknowledging Biden's poor performance, his family believes he is the best candidate to defeat the Republican nominee and serve another term as president. Hunter Biden was reported to be among those urging his father to continue in the campaign.
The president reportedly sought advice from his inner circle over the weekend and engaged in fundraising events with his granddaughters in New York and New Jersey. Campaign advisers were said to be working to retain major donors following the debate.
A conference call was scheduled for Monday evening with the national finance committee to address the situation. Campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz defended the re-election staffers, emphasizing the president's confidence in them.
Meanwhile, top Democratic donor John Morgan publicly criticized advisers Dunn, Klain, and Bauer for the debate performance, calling for their removal. He likened the situation to sending an unprepared prizefighter into a title fight, placing the blame squarely on Klain, Bauer, and Dunn.