(NewsNation) — President Biden’s family Sunday urged him to stay in the race for reelection, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to NewsNation.
The source said that first lady Jill Biden and son Hunter were the strongest in pushing the president not to withdraw.
There is also a lot of anger by the family directed at the campaign staff who were deeply involved in the debate preparation, the source confirmed. “They did him a disservice,” is how the source summarized the family’s feelings.
Responding to that report, Biden campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz told NewsNation: “The aides who prepped the President have been with him for years, often decades, seeing him through victories and challenges. He maintains strong confidence in them.”
While the family directs its ire at the staff for what it believes was poor preparation for the high stakes debate, many Democrats across the party say the blame lies squarely with the president himself for his poor performance.
A senior adviser to the president denied the Biden family was upset.
There are ongoing discussions about President Biden doing some type of press event later this week to answer the criticism of his performance, the source said. The president’s official schedule has him returning to the White House Monday night.
The news from the Camp David family gathering comes amid a flood of calls for Biden to leave the race, and equally vocal calls for him to stay the course.
In a CBS News/YouGov poll released Sunday, 45 percent of Democratic registered voters surveyed said Biden should step aside, while 55 percent said he should continue running.
The survey of 1,130 registered voters taken last Friday and Saturday has a 4.2% margin of error.
Jackie Koppel contributed to this report.