A private group call by the Democratic National Committee left members feeling gaslit about President Biden’s performance at the presidential debate last week.
The call, orchestrated by DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison and Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez, largely ignored Mr. Biden’s shaky performance in Georgia Thursday night.
“I was hoping for more of a substantive conversation instead of, ‘Hey, let’s go out there and just be cheerleaders,’ without actually addressing a very serious issue that unfolded on American television for millions of people to see,” Colorado DNC member Joe Salazar told The Associated Press about the call.
“There were a number of things that could have been said in addressing the situation. But we didn’t get that. We were being gaslit,” Mr. Salazar said.
The AP reported that multiple committee members on the call described feeling gaslit and said the call may have escalated a sense of panic among them.
Mr. Biden’s campaign said Friday that he would not drop out of the race, despite growing calls for him to do so.
A CNN flash poll of debate watchers found that 57% of voters said they have “no real confidence” in Mr. Biden’s ability to lead the country after his debate performance.
Other polls found that most people believe former President Donald Trump to be the winner of the debate, despite reports on his numerous fabrications on stage.
A Biden campaign memo released Saturday by senior adviser Jen O’Malley Dillon aimed to prove there was no change to Mr. Biden’s favorability following the debate.
Mr. Biden admitted his poor performance Friday while at an event in North Carolina.
“I know I’m not a young man. I don’t walk as easy as I used to. I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used to, but I know what I do know — I know how to tell the truth!” the president said.
Mr. Biden spent Saturday fundraising in the Hamptons, where he said he “didn’t have a great night, but neither did Trump.”
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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