On her MSNBC show, former White House press secretary Jen Psaki expressed doubts about the effectiveness of President Biden’s recent interview in addressing concerns following his widely criticized debate performance against former President Trump in June.
Psaki highlighted that despite Biden’s attempt to counter criticism in an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, the effort might not suffice to sway public opinion or silence calls from some Democratic figures for him to step down.
“I would say it went just okay for the president,” Psaki said. “In many ways, people watching saw what they wanted to see, because for some, he looks better than he did at the debate. He did. He was more clear. He seemed much better prepared to make his case against Trump. There were also some moments — not just one — that did not go well.” She commented that Biden appeared to be “in denial” about the state of the race against Trump and took little action to reassure his supporters about his stamina.
“When the interview ended, it left us all in this sort of purgatory for the moment. It was better than the debate, not a home run at all. Even if it was a home run, one interview definitely doesn’t have the capacity to change the perception out there of 72% of voters, according to a CBS poll, who do not believe that Biden has the mental or cognitive health to serve. Even the White House and the campaign know that,” Psaki said.
In her monologue, Psaki asserted that the “panic” within the Democratic Party has not subsided, leaving most people uncertain about the next step. “The questions I know I’m getting from text messages from friends, from family are twofold: What’s going to happen and what is the best path forward?” Psaki said. “And I’m not going to sit here this afternoon and tell you I know the answer to either question.”
Shannon Bream of Fox News reported on her show, “Fox News Sunday,” that no Democratic lawmakers or allies of President Joe Biden were willing to defend his decision to remain in the presidential race publicly. According to Bream, her team spent days attempting to find Democrats who would speak on record, but all were “unable or unwilling” to do so. She noted that dozens of lawmakers and Biden campaign allies declined invitations to appear on her program to discuss the matter.
“Now, before we get to our guests, I want you, the viewers at home, to know something. Our team has spent days reaching out to dozens of lawmakers and Biden advocates and allies,” Bream said. “We’ve had numerous interactions with the Biden/Harris campaign, but not a single potential guest was either able or willing to join us on today’s show to defend the president and his decision to stay on the ticket.” She added: “We will be having a conversation without that voice, which we have been working around the clock to avoid.”
WATCH:
SHANNON BREAM: Our team spent days reaching out to dozens of lawmakers, Biden advocates, and allies, but not a single guest was willing or able to come on to defend Joe Biden. pic.twitter.com/qKxBpV0NsL
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) July 7, 2024
Some Democrats concerned about how rapidly Trump is rising in the polls following Biden’s horrendous debate are offering up what they call “Plan C,” and some people are already shouting about constitutional concerns. According to political insider Paul Bedard at the Washington Examiner, Plan C involves replacing Vice President Kamala Harris with former President Barack Obama.
“A Biden-Obama ticket would have a much better chance of beating Trump,” said legal scholar John Banzhaf, a professor at George Washington University Law School. “Barack Obama is probably one of the few persons whom a majority of Americans would want and trust as president, so Plan C might be the least objectionable of a number of very unpopular and dubious options now open to Biden and the Democratic Party,” he added on Thursday.
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.