Biden meets family at Camp David as calls to exit the race grow

The family gathering follows Biden’s widely panned debate performance against former President Donald Trump on Thursday. During the debate, Biden struggled with a raspy voice and rambling answers that renewed concerns about his age.

During his exchanges with Biden, Trump sought to paint the president as ineffective both domestically and on the world stage, and in the process made baseless claims regarding immigration and crime rates, while also blasting the president’s son, Hunter Biden.

In the 48 hours since the debate, a chorus of donors and other supporters have called on Biden to step aside. The New York Times editorial board made the same plea last week.

Outside of a Saturday fundraising event in East Hampton, New York, several voters who support Biden held up signs asking him to exit the race. The weekend was dominated by Democratic debates about who could potentially take Biden’s place.

In just 90 minutes, Biden’s debate performance seems to have sparked the most serious challenge to his presidency yet. Biden’s campaign, however, has firmly pushed back and sought to reorient the party’s message to one that’s focused on the general election. And Biden himself has so far made no indication that he will exit the race.

During a Friday campaign event in the swing state of North Carolina, Biden publicly responded to his debate struggles.

“Folks, I might not walk as easily or talk as smoothly as I used to. I might not debate as well as I used to. But what I do know is how to tell the truth,” he told attendees in an address that was infinitely more energized than his debate performance one night earlier.

In response to reports that Biden is planning to discuss the future of his campaign with his family this weekend, White House senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates on X said that the Camp David trip had been announced June 23 — before the debate — and dismissed the reports.