President Joe Biden's family strongly urged him at a meeting at Camp David to stick with his campaign despite calls that he drop out following his dismal performance last week with Donald Trump, according to several reports Monday.
First Lady Jill Biden and son Hunter were reportedly the strongest advocates at the Sunday huddle that the president stick with the race.
Family members also urged that he get rid of or demote some top campaign advisers they blamed for the disaster, Politico reported.
They complained that Biden's handlers failed to prepare him to better pivot on issues in the debate, didn't adequately prep him to present his view on a next term rather than get bogged down in defense, and that he was overworked and not well-rested for the face-off, according to Politico.
Biden's campaign, however, responded to Politico saying that the president "maintains strong confidence" in the advisers.
Family members also reportedly criticized CNN debate moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash for letting some 30 brazen lies by Trump go completely unchallenged.
Biden's surprisingly tentative, muddled appearance at the debate last Thursday called into question the president's competence and sparked talk among Democrats that Biden drop out of the race. The New Yorker, New York Times and Atlanta Journal-Constitution also urged him to step aside to make way for another candidate.
Early polls show that while Biden still had relatively the same voting support he had before the debate, an increasing number of those surveyed have doubts if he has the "mental fitness" to be president for a second term.
Former President Barack Obama rushed to Biden's defense after the debate in a social media post.
"Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know," he wrote, referring to his own disastrous debate performance to win re-election in 2012.
The race still comes down to a choice between "someone who tells the truth; who knows right from wrong and will give it to the American people straight, and someone who lies through his teeth for his own benefit," Obama added.
Biden is reportedly continuing to discuss the situation with confidants and assure donors, though it's still unclear if deep-pocket contributors will stay by his side. His campaign has said he's staying with the race.
