Biden allies rally behind him with a public show of support as he spends family time at Camp David

WASHINGTON (AP) — While President Joe Biden was out of sight at Camp David Sunday spending time with family, prominent Democrats rallied with a public show of unwavering support for his campaign following his unsteady debate performance and growing anxiety over whether he should remain in the White House race.

“I do not believe that Joe Biden has a problem leading for the next four years,” said one close ally, Democratic Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina. “Joe Biden should continue to run on his record.” Yet the stark illustration of the Democratic angst was seen in words from former Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, who served for more than two decades with Biden in the Senate and called the debate “a disaster from which Biden cannot recover.”

Biden’s allies blanketed the Sunday talk shows and conceded that the president’s showing against Republican Donald Trump on Thursday night had ranged from subpar to bad. They encouraged voters to see past the moment, look at Biden’s long-term record and focus on Trump’s myriad falsehoods during the 90-minute debate.

Privately, though, Biden’s campaign has been working to tamp down concerns over the debate on CNN where Biden sounded raspy and at times was unable to finish sentences. The campaign has spent the days since then working to keep donors and surrogates on board.

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«RELATED COVERAGE» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-show-loadmore=«true» data-gtm-modulestyle=«List B»> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> RELATED COVERAGE </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> American and British voters share deep roots. In 2024, they distrust their own leaders, too </bsp-custom-headline>