Sen. Bennet becomes the first Democratic figure to openly criticize Biden and predict a GOP "landslide."
Following his appalling debate performance last month, Sen. Michael Bennet became the first Democratic senator to openly express his doubts about President Joe Biden's chances of winning reelection on Tuesday.
He told CNN's Kaitlan Collins, "I think Donald Trump is on track to win this election, and maybe win it by a landslide, and take with him the Senate and the House. Therefore, in my judgment, this is not a matter of polling. It's not a political question. It's a moral dilemma about our nation's future.
The Colorado Democrat claimed that "the White House has done nothing to really demonstrate that they have a plan to win this election in the time since that disastrous debate."
His remarks support the growing worry among Democrats in Congress that Biden's run for reelection could damage the party in races later in the autumn. This week is seen by Democrats, including many in the administration, as being crucial to Biden's political survival. On Tuesday, the Capitol Hill legislature convened in secret for their weekly meetings. It was evident that concerns had been raised behind closed doors, but neither the House nor the Senate Democrats could agree on a course of action after their discussions.
“In addition to cautioning about the stakes in the 2024 election, Bennet refrained from urging Biden to step down and stated on "The Source" that losing the House and Senate to Republicans would be "an American tragedy."
"There could be no greater stakes," he declared.
Bennet asked the White House to take concerns about Biden's viability seriously, stating that his voters have "deep concerns" about his capacity to win.
Bennet's remarks support earlier CNN reports that he expressed doubts about Biden's chances of winning to his colleagues during Tuesday's private meeting of Senate Democrats.
Biden's performance during the June CNN debate sparked a wave of doubt about both the viability of his campaign and mental health. The president has pledged to continue, despite public calls from a number of House Democrats for Biden to withdraw from the contest. In a letter to congressional Democrats on Monday, he stated, "I am fully committed to staying in this race, to running this race to the end, and to beating "Despite all the rumors in the media and online," said Donald Trump."
The elements at play are just what we anticipated: people's continuous, intense concern over Donald Trump and his detrimental agenda. This was always going to be a close election., and the more we engage and reach out to voters, the more they support President Biden," Biden campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz said in a statement in response to Bennet's remarks.
"There are still many days until election day, and obtaining every single vote is going to be a difficult task," he continued.
According to a source familiar with CNN, Sens. Sherrod Brown and Jon Tester also predicted that Biden would lose the meeting in the Capitol. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer reportedly advised senators during the discussion to have direct communication with the White House, according to a second source. Several senators expressed their opinion that the administration is more open to directly speaking with senators.
Numerous Democratic senators declined to speak with reporters after the meeting. When asked if there was an agreement achieved during the discussion, Biden's supporter Senator Chris Coons of Delaware simply responded, "It was a constructive conversation."
