President Biden met virtually with the political arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus on Friday, continuing his behind-the-scenes conversations with Democratic lawmakers as he and his allies seek to stem the flow of defections that began soon after his debate last month with former President Donald Trump.
The Biden campaign said the president held a virtual meeting with the BOLD PAC, the political affiliate of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, to discuss the 2024 election, delivering remarks and answering questions. Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California told CBS News earlier this week that a call was in the works, as the president tries to reassure his party that he’s up to the rigors of the presidency and that he can beat Donald Trump in November. It’s not clear how many Democratic lawmakers were on the call.
On Thursday night, the president sat down with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries at the White House to hear about the concerns of the House Democratic caucus. So far, 17 House Democrats have publicly called on the president step down, with many more expressing concerns privately.
One lawmaker on the call said the president did “very well” in the meeting, but some members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus remain likely to monitor what happens in the coming days.
“I think some people will say ‘let’s wait and see'” how the president does “over next couple days,” the Democratic lawmaker said.
“I thought he did well last night,” the lawmaker also said. “I thought he did very well this morning … you will be seeing more of the same from him.”
The member of Congress pointed to the president’s scheduled interview with NBC’s Lester Holt on Monday, as well as his expected campaign appearances.
The CHC formally expressed support for Mr. Biden this week, but that doesn’t mean all its members have publicly agreed to continue to back him. Caucus Chair Nanette Díaz Barragán of California and Deputy Caucus Chair Adriano Espaillat of New York issued a statement Monday night affirming their support for the president’s 2024 bid.
Elected Democrats watched closely Thursday night as the president delivered an hour-long press conference, fielding questions from reporters on his ability to beat Trump and his mental and physical stamina.
“I’m not in this for my legacy,” the president said. “I’m in this to complete the job I started.”
Nikole Killion and Ellis Kim contributed to this report
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