President Joe Biden told more than 20 Democratic governors that he is in good health with the exception of his brain function while discussing the fate of his presidential campaign on Wednesday, sources told the New York Times.
Biden assured the governors that despite the growing calls for him to drop out of the presidential race, he would be staying in, two people who participated in the meeting and several others briefed on his comments told the NYT. In response to a question about his health from Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, the 81-year-old said that all was fine with him except for his “brain.” (RELATED: White House Spin Machine Hits Snag After KJP’s Press Briefing Contradiction)
“It’s just my brain,” Biden told Green, which at least one governor took as a serious comment that left them confused, the NYT reported. At least three others in the room apparently said they interpreted the comment as a joke.
“He was clearly making a joke,” Jen O’Malley Dillon, Biden’s campaign chair, told the NYT, adding that he said “all kidding aside” after the comment.
(L-R) Governors Kathy Hochul of New York, Tim Walz of Minnesota and Wes Moore of Maryland speak to reporters after a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House on July 03, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Biden told the governors that his trips to France, California and Italy two weeks before the debate affected his performance, the NYT reported. He added that he communicated to his staff that he needed more rest, but that he consistently tries to push himself and bypasses his staff’s concern about his schedule, according to the NYT.
Biden also claimed he needs to start working fewer hours and avoiding attending events past 8 p.m., one person familiar with his remarks told the NYT.
While the president and his campaign outwardly maintain the posture that he is staying in the race, a “key ally” apparently told the NYT this week that Biden is weighing whether or not he can salvage his candidacy. The “key ally” was given anonymity by the outlet to discuss the sensitivity of the situation and told the NYT that Biden is aware that he must nail his upcoming public appearances to ease concerns about his age.
The White House denied the veracity of the story.
That claim is absolutely false. If the New York Times had provided us with more than 7 minutes to comment we would have told them so. https://t.co/SRTYIVTy7v
— Andrew Bates (@AndrewJBates46) July 3, 2024
“That claim is absolutely false. If the New York Times had provided us with more than 7 minutes to comment we would have told them so,” White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said in a tweet.
