President Joe Biden's family's 'damaging' response to Donald Trump debate fiasco as they seek to 'settle old scores' and seize control
A simmering rift between Joe Biden's family and staff has finally boiled over after his disastrous debate performance last week.
The president blamed a cold and a generally 'bad night' for looking frail, confused, and struggling to finish sentences during the showdown with Donald Trump.
Biden defiantly declared he would contest the November 5 election and win, despite a push by some top Democrats to convince him to stand aside.
Fallout from the debate gave Biden's family, including his disgraced son Hunter, ammunition to settle old scores with his staff and be more involved.
Joe Biden's closest family visited the White House over the past week to console him after the debate and plot the next steps. They included his sister Valerie Owens, and son Hunter and his wife Melissa Cohen Biden
The president blamed a cold and a generally 'bad night' for looking frail, confused, and struggling to finish sentences during the showdown with Donald Trump
They blame his staff for failing to adequately prepare him for the debate and more broadly for not putting him in a position to show his strengths.
'I believe the family has witnessed blunder after blunder by key staff personnel and the debate is likely the straw that broke the camel's back,' one of 13 sources close to the president told NBC.
'Post-debate, the supposed loyal staff, instead of taking responsibility, pointed the finger back at the president and said: 'His fault.' I can think of no other singular action that would agitate the Biden family more.'
Aides in turn believe the president's family is blinded to the political realities by emotion and likened their 'unhelpful' meddling to a Shakespearean drama.
'The debate fiasco has opened up a lane for the family to surpass staff and start helping out their father and brother who they love dearly,' another insider said.
Biden's closest family visited the White House over the past week to console him after the debate and plot the next steps.
They included his sister Valerie Owens, and son Hunter and his wife Melissa Cohen Biden, along with various grandchildren who came for July 4th celebrations.
Biden talks to his son, Hunter Biden, after the fireworks on the National Mall with First Lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' husband Doug Emhoff on the White House balcony
Biden with granddaughter Maisy Biden and family members watch fireworks from the Truman Balcony at the White House during US Independence Day celebrations at the White House
Hunter's presence just weeks after his felony conviction on gun charges, and his pending tax fraud trial, in particular has riled staff who thin he needs to keep a lower profile - a sentiment that in turn enrages the family.
Jill Biden's former communications director Michael LaRosa defended Hunter's involvement, pointing our that despite his past drug issues he was a Harvard-educated lawyer.
'He was far more effective at media strategy and political knife-fighting than the campaign has been so far and they have $250 million,' he said.
'At the end of the day, [Biden is] extremely close to his children, brothers and his sister, and values their unfiltered advice… and it would make sense that they're frustrated if they feel like they're on the outside looking in.'
Some of the presidents family unsuccessfully agitated for the ouster of his longtime personal lawyer and consigliere Bob Bauer and his wife, top White House adviser Anita Dunn.
Bauer played the role of Trump during debate prep at Camp David in the days before the disastrous event last Thursday, as he did in 2020.
Anita Dunn (left), senior advisor to President Joe Biden, and White House Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs Reema Dodin
Bob Bauer, Biden's longtime personal lawyer, is among his closest confidants
But the family appeared to have not gone beyond discussing their removal, as the president has a great deal of confidence in their counsel.
'The president and first lady have full confidence in their team, including Anita and Bob,' White House chief of staff Jeff Zients said.
'There is absolutely no truth to these unfounded and insulting rumors.'
Still, enough drama spilled over into the public realm that Biden contacted his former chief of staff Ron Klain, who ran the debate prep, to reassure him.
Biden's family also believe his staff are too tightly managing him in fear the gaffe-prone president will put his foot in his mouth.
However, his advisers blame the family for being overprotective to a fault.
Staffers also pointed the finger at each other, particularly at longstanding aides, for insulating Biden to the point where he his out of practice at handling unscripted moments.
Presidential staff have far more confidence in Dunn and Bauer as unlike aides who have been with him so long they are like family, the duo aren't afraid to tell him 'the truth', even if he doesn't like it.
'Anita is one of the most respected people in both the White House and campaign and across the Democratic Party,' one said.
'Without her leadership there are real fears we may not be able to recover and claw back and win, just like she helped the president do when he fought back from the early 2020 primary losses and went on to beat Trump.'
Bauer is married to White House senior adviser for communications, Anita Dunn
Biden likes to do prep work at Camp David - above he and his team prepare for the State of the Union address at Camp David in March
Polls since the debate show Trump widening his lead over Biden, with average from various aggregators giving him a 2 to 3.3 per cent edge head-to-head, and 2.5 to 4.9 per cent advantage when third party candidates are included.
Despite some Democratic lawmakers openly calling for Biden to stand aside, and many more in private, the most obvious candidates to replace him appear unwilling.
California Governor Gavin Newsom and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer both, within minutes of each other, pledged their support for Biden as the nominee earlier this week.
None of Biden's potential replacements are doing any better in the polls against Trump than the president, except Michelle Obama who leads him by double digits.
