A meeting intended to unify House Democrats on political messaging devolved into a post-debate critique session, with many members harshly criticizing President Joe Biden, referring to him as a “donkey.”
Axios reported that the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee meeting became heated as lawmakers expressed their dissatisfaction with Biden’s performance and cognitive state, which were on display for 50 million viewers during last week’s debate.
The virtual meeting, held Tuesday afternoon, saw participants frustrated with Biden’s attempts to win over voters ahead of the November 5 election. According to a member and another source, the agenda was overshadowed by widespread misgivings about Biden. Throughout the gathering, Biden was repeatedly disparaged as the “donkey in the room,” sources said.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), the first sitting member of Congress to call for Biden to step aside, confirmed that “there were a lot of people not very happy.”
While Doggett was the first to voice this sentiment, he is not expected to be the only one urging for a change in the ticket, especially if the campaign and the White House cannot “start to show that they get it.”
Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) has also expressed doubt about Biden’s prospects, publishing an editorial acknowledging that “Donald Trump is going to win. And I’m OK with that.”
One Democratic lawmaker suggested that Biden “step aside outright.” While there is still support for Biden within the party, there is a growing call for at least a “decisive change in course by replacing his top campaign advisers.”
Meanwhile, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) reaffirmed his support for Biden and confirmed that the party would not “hold people back” from expressing their views, even if they are critical of Biden.