Despite Age Concerns from 80% of Americans, Democrat Governors Stand with Biden

Democrat governors rallied around President Joe Biden on Wednesday as the 81-year-old faces increasing calls to step aside and avoid running against former President Donald Trump this fall. Despite the pressure, key Democratic leaders are throwing their support behind Biden, emphasizing unity and commitment to securing a victory in November.

A significant show of support came from several prominent Democrat governors:

• Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, chair of the Democrat Governors Association, attended the event in person along with California Governor Gavin Newsom, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. Others joined virtually.

• This display of solidarity comes as a Wall Street Journal poll revealed that 80% of voters believe Biden is "too old" to run for president again, and Trump is leading Biden 48% to 42% in the latest polls.

Governor Walz, speaking to reporters, asserted Biden's capability despite recent challenges. “Yes, he’s fit for office,” Walz insisted. “None of us are denying Thursday night was a bad performance, it was a bad hit, if you will, on that, but it doesn’t impact what I believe, that he’s delivering.”

Walz further emphasized the governors' unified support, stating, “The governors have his back. A path to victory in November is the number one priority and that’s the number one priority of the president.”

Governor Moore echoed this sentiment, noting their candid conversation with Biden about the public's concerns following the debate. “We were honest about the concerns that we were hearing from people,” Moore said. “And we were also honest about the fact that, as the president continued to tell us and show us that he was all in, that we said we would stand with him.”

Other governors took to social media to express their unwavering support:

• Gavin Newsom tweeted, “I heard three words from the President tonight — he’s all in. And so am I. @JoeBiden’s had our back. Now it’s time to have his.”

• Kathy Hochul posted, “Joe Biden is in it to win it. The stakes this November could not be higher.”

• Gretchen Whitmer declared online, “Joe Biden is our nominee. He is in it to win it and I support him.”

North Carolina’s Roy Cooper summed up the sentiment with a statement: “We had a good meeting with the President talking about what’s needed to win. Donald Trump is an existential threat to our democracy, and everyone in the room agreed that defeating him is imperative. President Biden told us he is definitely running for re-election, he is our nominee and we’ll continue doing everything we can to deliver North Carolina for him.”

As the 2024 election approaches, the Democratic governors' united front behind Biden aims to bolster confidence in his leadership and reaffirm their commitment to defeating Trump and securing a Democratic victory.

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