HAMPTON ROADS, Va. — President Biden is not backing down after his debate performance was met with some criticism.
After the debate – the first between Biden and Trump since they both announced their 2024 presidential bids – many experts described the current president’s performance as "shaky" and said it could cause trouble for Democrats during the upcoming election.
"There's a lot of states [Biden] can lose now after tonight," political commentator and former MSNBC anchor Chris Matthews told Scripps News. "There's a lot of states in play now if you're a Republican strategist."
On Monday, multiple national news outlets reported obtaining a letter, dated July 8, from the President to Democratic members of Congress.
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In the letter, the president references the Democratic presidential primaries. He says they make him "the presumptive nominee of our party.” He goes on to say, “Do we now just say this process doesn’t matter? That the voters don’t have a say?”
“He’s not all there," Virginia Beach voter Laura Smith said when asked why she thinks President Biden should drop out.
“Me personally, yeah," said Virginia Beach voter Benjamin Martin when asked if he thinks the president should drop out. "But I can understand why he wouldn’t want to [drop out]."
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We asked voters what they think would happen if a Democrat other than Biden was the party's presidential nominee this election year.
“I think a lot of people who would vote Democrat would vote for anyone else but Biden," said Martin.
“Depends on who they pick to run. Although I think it’s too late for them to pick someone, so I think it’s going to be him," Smith said.
Others, however, support the president’s decision to stay in the race.
“He should stay in the race," Democratic National Convention Delegate from Virginia Gaylene Kanoyton said.
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She said the party is focused on re-electing Biden.
“We have not lost our focus on mobilization. We have one job, and that job is to beat Donald J. Trump," Kanoyton emphasized.
The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus released a statement on Monday also supporting a second presidential term for Biden.
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VLBC statement in support of Biden-Harris campaign
According to reports, Virginia U.S. Senator Mark Warner had backed off Monday from plans to gather Senate Democrats to encourage Biden to step aside.
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Virginia U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, speaking with WTKR's sister station WTVR on Monday, didn't offer an opinion on the issue.
"Any advice that I have for the President I'm going to share with the President," Kaine said. I don't feel the need to share it beyond that."
He went on to say he "strongly believes" Biden is someone who puts the country first.
"I've never been disappointed in that, in him. He's a patriotic person who will put the country over his own needs and I think he'll do that as he makes this decision. If he believes fully that he can do this, I will respect that judgment. But, I also completely believe that if he has doubts about whether he can do it he'll level with the American public about it," Kaine said.
Political expert Dr. Eric Claville said Biden's letter comes at an important time.
“I think what’s most important is what will happen this week. I believe the week coming out of the Fourth of July holiday was going to be the most important for the Democratic Party because it will show where the loyalty lies and where the energy and the campaigning and the funding will be put forth," Claville explained.
He said the 2024 election could be one in which one candidate wins the popular vote and the other wins the electoral college.
“The voters from the Republican Party are energized, energized to get out and vote. So at this point, the question becomes which candidate will get their voters to the polls, especially in battleground states," said Claville.
The Democratic Party will officially choose its candidate for November's general election at the Democratic National Convention in August.
