President Joe Biden sought Saturday to reassure deep-pocketed Democratic donors that he can overcome the damage from his dismal debate against former President Donald Trump — but some shaken supporters reportedly aren't buying it.
Biden attended a series of fundraisers in New York and New Jersey two days after his halting performance against Trump raised alarms about his age and ability to win reelection, let alone lead the country for four more years.
A person who attended one of the events described it as "joyless," and bemoaned not getting the chance to personally advise Biden, 81, to withdraw from the race, the Wall Street Journal reported late Saturday.
Some people also reportedly said the fundraiser they attended was tightly controlled, with little one-on-one access to Biden, who addressed the crowd by reading from a teleprompter.
Major donors told the newspaper they were waiting for the results of post-debate polling before deciding whether to pour their money into Biden's campaign, the Journal said.
If his numbers tank, they believe the pressure will increase the odds he'll be forced out, the Journal reported.
Two of the fundraisers were held in the summer resort community of East Hampton on New York's Long Island, where Biden's motorcade passed a group of people who held signs calling for him to quit the race.
The messages included, "Please drop out for US," "Thank you next," "Step down for democracy" and "We love you but it's time," the Journal said.
A high-profile Hollywood donor told Variety on Friday: "With all the text chains I'm on, people are basically like, 'If he doesn't drop out, we're not giving any more money to Democrats or the Democratic Party.'"
It's "like super intense," the unidentified source added.
Potential replacement candidates include Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Associated Press noted, citing text message chains and private conversations among Democratic donors in New York and California.
Biden also appeared Saturday at a fundraiser at the home of New Jersey Gov. Gov. Phil Murphy, telling attendees that he "didn't have a great night" debating Trump, but was "going to be fighting harder," AP said.
The president —who tried to bounce back from Thursday's debate with a forceful Friday speech in Raleigh, North Carolina — ended the day by heading to the presidential Camp David retreat in Maryland.
On the way, he was reportedly seen talking by phone with historian Jon Meacham, a confidant who's reportedly helped craft some of Biden's major speeches.
The White House disputed an NBC News report that Biden was expected to discuss the future of his reelection bid with his family at Camp David, saying his children and grandchildren were gathering there for a family photo planned before Thursday's debate, AP said.
