Hunter Biden pushing for Joe to stay in race as family discusses campaign’s future at Camp David after debate disaster: report
Hunter Biden is pushing dad President Biden to stay in the presidential race as the family huddles with the 81-year-old prez at Camp David to discuss his options after last week’s debate debacle, a new report says.
Biden’s disgraced convicted son is leading the charge to keep his father running against Donald Trump, claiming he wants the country to see his dad as the man he knows he still is: feisty and able to command, the New York Times said Sunday, quoting sources familiar with the family gathering.
President Biden’s relatives — including his closest adviser, wife Jill — are under no illusions about the debate, sources said.
They know his performance was disastrous, with him mumbling and stumbling over words while also blankly staring into space at times, the sources said.
But many of them, including Hunter, believe he still has enough wits about him and the fight in him to win, the outlet said.
They are privately more upset about how he was prepared for the match-up, expressing dismay over everything from how he was pumped with statistics to made up to look pale for TV even though he walked into CNN’s studio sporting a healthy summer tan, sources told the outlet.
Gathered with the president at the Maryland presidential retreat were his wife, kids and grandchildren, an event the White House claimed was pre-arranged for a photo shoot with famed shutterbug Annie Leibovitz.
At least one of Biden’s grandkids offered to get involved in their elderly grandfather’s campaign — by landing interviews with social-media influencers to get out their message, sources told the Times.
The president’s advisers are also weighing whether he should hold a general news conference or individual interviews with select reporters to try to change the narrative and ensuing deafening chorus of calls for him to resign from the campaign — including from the Times’ own liberal editorial board.
A critical call with Dem fundraisers is scheduled for Monday, the outlet noted.
People close to Biden believe that ultimately, only the president and his wife will determine the future of his presidency, NBC News reported, citing several top Democrat sources.
“The decision-makers are two people — it’s the president and his wife,” one of the sources told the outlet. “Anyone who doesn’t understand how deeply personal and familial this decision will be isn’t knowledgeable about the situation.”
Another source added, “The only person who has ultimate influence with him is the first lady. “If she decides there should be a change of course, there will be a change of course.”
The trip to Maryland served as a break for Biden, who spent the weekend at posh fundraisers in the Hamptons and at New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s mansion.
Biden is scheduled to remain at Camp David until Monday evening.
