Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer reportedly conveyed her concerns to Joe Biden’s campaign in the wake of his tumultuous debate performance, signaling that Michigan was no longer a viable win for the Democratic nominee, according to Politico [1]. This revelation emerged from a call between Whitmer and Biden campaign Chair Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, indicating growing consternation among prominent Democrats following Biden’s lackluster debate appearance.
Whitmer was vocal about her distress regarding suggestions of her potential replacement for Biden and adamantly asserted her lack of involvement in any efforts to pressure Biden to withdraw from the race. Notably, her warning to Dillon regarding the diminished prospects for Biden in Michigan after the debate underscores the unease among prominent Democrats surrounding Biden’s candidacy.
This response mirrors the sentiments expressed by other high-ranking Democrats, who have publicly voiced their support for Biden while privately expressing trepidation and skepticism about his abilities. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former House Majority Whip James Clyburn publicly reiterated their backing for Biden in appearances over the weekend.
Pelosi attributed Biden’s debate struggles to former President Trump’s purported falsehoods and characterized the disparity between them as a battle between “integrity” and “dishonesty.” Similarly, Clyburn downplayed Biden’s debate performance, attributing it to “preparation overload” and expressed confidence in Biden’s capacity to prevail over Trump in the upcoming election as well as lead the nation for another term.
Biden campaign co-chair Jim Clyburn claims Biden’s humiliating debate performance was just “a classic example of preparation overload” pic.twitter.com/MOa5idjjSE [2]
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 30, 2024 [3]
The revelation of Whitmer’s concerns and the responses from prominent Democratic figures reflect the growing apprehension within the party over Biden’s ability to secure victory in the upcoming election and undermine Trump’s re-election prospects.