Many Democrats are concerned about the 81-year-old president's age and question his fitness for office after Biden's poor performance in the first round of the presidential debate, calling on Biden to give way to a younger candidate. But Biden has not shown any signs of dropping out of the race. Over the weekend, some prominent Democrats came to his defense. A CBS/YouGov poll released Sunday showed that 72% of registered voters said Biden should not run for president, up from 63% in February, adding weight to those calls. Nearly three-quarters of respondents believe Biden is not cognitively capable of serving as president, up from 65% three weeks ago. Nearly half of respondents say the same about Republican presidential candidate Trump. Biden's incoherent, stumbling and confused speech during Thursday's debate have led many Democratic lawmakers, donors and party officials to question whether Biden should continue to be the party's candidate. Biden held fundraisers in Manhattan, the Hamptons and New Jersey on Friday night and Saturday to try to appease wealthy supporters. But many donors remain panicked about his ability to beat Trump, let alone trust him to stay in the White House for another four years. "I'm not sure we need more evidence to make up our minds, but this poll is a further reminder that unless we act now (i.e., change someone), Trump will definitely win in November," one donor said on Sunday. Meanwhile, at a large party in Hollywood on Friday night, attended by Disney CEO Bob Iger and California Governor Gavin Newsom, among others, attendees expressed anger at media mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg, according to an attendee. Katzenberg is co-chairman of Biden's reelection campaign and one of Biden's major donors. The industry veteran said Katzenberg assured donors that Biden was "fine" as he was seeking donations for his campaign. Reporters covering Biden's fundraiser on Saturday reported that Katzenberg rode with Biden on Air Force One.Representatives for Katzenberg did not respond to requests for comment. Industry veterans predict that Hollywood financiers will no longer provide funds to Biden. "There is no reason for them to provide more money because the right thing for the country is for Biden to step down," the person said. "The reality is that everyone wants (Biden) out of office now. You can't have the most powerful man in the world in the White House with a deteriorating mental condition." But a person who attended Biden's fundraiser in East Hampton last Saturday said that although the atmosphere was serious, donors remained committed to supporting Biden because he is the only one who has the ability to defeat Trump. "It's too late to change now. We need to face reality and support our president and oppose the tyrant," the person said. "There is still a large number of people supporting Biden, and the Democratic Party needs to unite around him." Many donors and Democratic officials, including those who want to oust Biden, are worried that an open fight for Biden's presidential candidacy could cause greater damage to the Democratic Party's electoral prospects. "One thing Biden has managed to do successfully is suppress divisions within the Democratic Party... All of these divisions are likely to surface as the new leadership battle unfolds," said a person close to several of Biden's big donors. Biden's team insisted on Sunday that the incumbent president has no intention of dropping out of the race. Biden's campaign has raised $33 million since Thursday's debate, with $26 million coming from grassroots or small donors, an official said. Campaign officials were also quick to dismiss polls that were unfavorable to Biden. "This is not the first time that exaggerated media reports have led to a brief dip in the president's approval ratings in the polls, and we may see a shift in the polls in the coming weeks," Biden campaign chairwoman Jen O'Malley Dillon said in a widely circulated memo on Saturday night. Biden's high-profile supporters rallied around Biden on Sunday, arguing that Thursday was just a bad night for him. Asked about those in the party who have expressed concerns about Biden's candidacy, Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told MSNBC: "We are in conversations with all sectors of the House Democratic caucus, and it's an ongoing effort.This is going to continue. "It was a terrible night. Let's not sugarcoat it," former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on CNN's "State of the Union." But she added: "This has nothing to do with performance in the debate, this has to do with performance in the presidency." Biden spent what aides described as a long-awaited time with his family at Camp David last Sunday, who are widely seen as the only ones who could convince Biden to step down. But the New York Times, citing sources, said Biden's family had urged him to continue to run at the gathering.

The article is forwarded from: Jinshi Data