Aides within President Joe Biden’s circle are increasingly concerned about the possibility of him facing a resurgent Donald Trump in the upcoming year. Despite the numerous legal challenges facing the former president, recent polls have shown Trump gaining ground.
Fox News reported on Friday that Biden’s aides are growing apprehensive about the potential for a rematch with Trump, given the close standings in recent polls.
As noted by CNN on Thursday, the polls, which suggest a lack of a clear advantage for either candidate in a hypothetical rematch, have generated significant anxiety among Biden’s aides. Furthermore, members of the media are actively discussing whether Biden should even contemplate running for re-election.
“The former president may seem like the easier Republican candidate to beat, as a known quantity who is toxic to many voters, but they’re terrified that if he is the nominee, any fumbles by the campaign or the president himself would enable the return of a candidate they see as a singular threat to American democracy,” CNN’s report read.
The growing apprehension within Biden’s inner circle coincides with a recent column written by Washington Post columnist David Ignatius. In his column, Ignatius urged President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris not to seek re-election.
“I don’t think Biden and Vice President Harris should run for re-election,” Ignatius wrote. “It’s painful to say that, given my admiration for much of what they have accomplished. But if he and Harris campaign together in 2024, I think Biden risks undoing his greatest achievement — which was stopping Donald Trump.”
According to CNN, Biden’s aides have been pointing fingers at the media, accusing news organizations of exacerbating concerns about Biden’s age and the escalating legal issues surrounding Hunter Biden.
Furthermore, CNN reported that prominent Democratic donors have not yet made contributions to support Biden’s potential re-election campaign.
Ian Sams, a spokesperson for the White House Counsel’s Office, sent a memo this week to prominent news organizations, including CNN, the New York Times, and Fox News. The memo requested that they intensify their examination of House Republicans, alleging that they initiated an impeachment inquiry based on falsehoods, as reported by the New York Post.
This memo followed House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s announcement of an impeachment inquiry into President Biden after several committees asserted they had uncovered compelling evidence related to alleged bribes and suspected enrichment from the promotion of the “Biden brand.”
“But to the exasperation of several top Biden aides who spoke to CNN, some of the most notable names and biggest checkbooks remain missing,” the outlet reported.
“Through our investigations, we have found that President Biden did lie to the American people about his own knowledge of his family’s foreign business dealings,” McCarthy alleged earlier this week, claiming that “these allegations paint a picture of a culture of corruption.”
“They should be playing hardball, and instead, what they’re doing is bitching about the media,” a White House reporter who regularly attends briefings told the outlet.
“I don’t think the media likes being told what to do. I think it’s going to backfire,” the reporter predicted, according to The Post. “It seems to say to me that they believe the media will just do what [the White House] tells them. It’s a terrible look for the administration.”
The correspondent went on to say that a “hardball” approach would be the White House attempting to take the wind out of Republicans’ impeachment sails by addressing factual disputes and providing additional context.
“If you want to play hardball, trot out Hunter to say what he did or didn’t do, explain why the payments are a nothing burger,” the reporter told The Post. “Or just issue a rebuttal memo.”
“This is not OK,” journalist Matthew Keys tweeted. “The White House should not be encouraging, influencing or interfering in the editorial strategies of America’s newsrooms, including CNN and the New York Times.”
