Pritzker meets with Biden at White House amid concerns
CHICAGO - Democratic governors Tim Walz of Minnesota, Kathy Hochul of New York, and Wes Moore of Maryland emerged after an hour-long meeting at the White House with a message of unity behind President Joe Biden.
"He has had our backs through COVID, through all of the recovery, all the things that have happened," Walz said. "The governors have his back."
"The President is our party leader, and the President was very clear - that he is in this to win this," Moore added.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker did not address reporters after the meeting with Biden, Vice President Harris, and 23 of Pritzker’s colleagues concluded.
The meeting comes as Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris reportedly reassured staff members that they’re in the race to the end, after last week’s concerning debate performance.
In an hour-long press conference today, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre was asked repeatedly whether Biden would drop out.
"Absolutely not," she answered. "He’s moving forward as President, he’s moving forward with his campaign, as his campaign has been very clear about that."
Lagging poll numbers have top Democrats, including Governor J.B. Pritzker, openly questioning whether he can carry the nomination across the finish line.
"There's a healthy discussion going on within the Democratic Party," Pritzker said in a prime-time interview on CNN Tuesday night. "We’re not a cult like the MAGA Republicans. We tolerate dissent, and we think it’s good for democracy to have this conversation."
Jean-Pierre defended Biden’s comments that he was jet lagged from official overseas travel during last week’s debate, even though he had been back stateside for 12 days.
"There’s a cold, there’s jet lag. He continues to work for the American people around the clock."
Gov. JB Pritzker and President Joe Biden (Getty Images)
Pritzker and other top Democrats have insisted the decision is Biden’s alone, with Pritzker openly asking the President to speak out more to reassure the public.
"We haven’t heard a lot from him since the debate, and that’s the reason the polls look like they do," Pritzker said. "When you come off a bad debate, you need to remind people why you’re the right guy to elect."
Jean-Pierre acknowledged the calls to communicate in an unscripted setting, stating that it’s coming, starting with an ABC News interview on Friday.
"He's going to be taking some questions from one of your colleagues. We’re gonna be continuing to engage with all of you. We look forward to doing that. He’ll have a press conference next week."
Meanwhile, there has been rare silence from Republican nominee Donald Trump, whose convictions in the New York hush money case and pending criminal trials have taken a back seat in the campaign for the moment.