On Friday, President Joe Biden met with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. The proceedings did not go the way he would have wanted, with at least one lawmaker directly calling for him to drop out of the race.
The Zoom meeting reportedly got off to a rocky start and limited questions lawmakers could ask.
For starters, Biden showed up an hour late to the Zoom call, according to a source familiar with the meeting, and it didn’t get much better from there.
Organizers of the Zoom meeting had said only two members were allowed to ask questions — Reps. Sylvia Garcia and Lou Correa — but Biden opened the floor up to more questions, the source familiar with the call told NOTUS. At least the president tried to open up the meeting to more questions.
During the meeting, the president discussed a variety of issues with the lawmakers. A source told Axios that several questions asked by representatives were “pre-selected” but that Biden offered to field other questions after the session.
Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA) spoke up at one point, telling Biden that the time had come for another candidate to lead the party. He later reiterated this point publicly in a written statement.
Making this statement is not easy. I have deep respect for President Biden’s five plus decades of public service and incredible appreciation for the work we’ve done together these last three and a half years. But I believe the time has come for President Biden to pass the torch.
We must prevail against the incalculable threat Donald Trump poses to the American institutions of freedom and democracy. Donald Trump actively seeks a bleak authoritarianism and the overthrow of the values which have guided us towards justice and prosperity for nearly two and a half centuries.
Biden responded by trying to address concerns about his age and cognitive abilities.
“That’s — that was great when you were feeling good, Biden, are you OK now? That’s what’s underlying,” Biden said, according to the partial transcript. “That’s what people are worried about. ‘I’ve got a grandfather who’s 85 years old, and he can’t walk.’ It’s a legitimate concern for people, but that’s why I think it’s important I gotta get out and show people everything from how well I move to how much I know and that I’m still in good charge.”
Sorry, Democrats, There Is No Coming Back From This
Several other lawmakers wished to ask questions but were reportedly shut down.
Several swing-district members — including Reps. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) — used the raise hand function but had it "repeatedly" lowered, the same source said.
However, some of the lawmakers took a more favorable tone toward the president. Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA) told Axios that he was “More than grateful that President Biden took time to talk to our caucus” and that the president “spoke frankly to us.”