Biden's Camp David meeting: Family rallying for re‑election fight
The echoes of the pre-election debate involving US President Joe Biden have not died down. A family meeting about Biden's future political plans occurred at the Camp David residence. According to American media, topics discussed during these family conversations included potential dismissals of the president's close associates.
9:31 AM EDT, July 1, 2024
On Sunday, a meeting was held at the presidential residence of Camp David, attended by First Lady Jill Biden, the president's son Hunter Biden, and his grandchildren.
According to information provided by CNN, citing one of the president's advisors, the discussions at Camp David focused on how Biden family members could support the president in the election campaign rather than on whether he should reconsider his candidacy.
The Biden family was said to have criticized Anita Dunn, a senior advisor to the president; her husband, Bob Bauer, a lawyer who played Trump during the pre-debate trials; and Ron Klain, the former White House Chief of Staff.
As CNN reports, Biden is known for his loyalty to and protection of his close advisors and his reluctance to fire associates. This suggests that no significant personnel changes should be expected shortly, including within the team responsible for the election campaign.
Key opinion of the Biden family
CNN reports that "the family’s view – that Biden must keep fighting – could shift in the coming days if the downward spiral continues and if the president becomes convinced that exiting the race would avoid dragging down Democrats this fall."
As noted, "the opinion of Biden’s family would be crucial in determining his political future – even more so than the president’s famously insular inner circle of top advisers."
The "New York Times" reports that one of the most vocal participants during the meeting was the president's son. "Hunter Biden wants Americans to see the version of his father that he knows — scrappy and in command of the facts — rather than the stumbling, aging president Americans saw on Thursday night," said a person familiar with the discussions at Camp David, quoted by the newspaper.
It was added that one of the president's grandchildren declared they would get involved in the campaign. "Stand up and keep fighting," one of the family members reportedly told Biden.
According to Democrats, Biden's chances of withdrawing from the bid for a second term in the White House are four or five to one. Nancy Pelosi, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Jen Psaki, former White House Press Secretary, dismissed speculations about the president's possible withdrawal from the re-election campaign, as quoted by the "New York Times."
