Axios’ Alex Thompson Destroys Every Excuse that the W.H. Offered on Biden’s Debate Disaster

KEILAR Joining us now ░░░░░░░░ Axios national political correspondent ░░░░░░░░ Thompson All right Alex ░░░░░░░░ know you ve been ░░░░░░░░ to a lot of ░░░░░░░░ inside the White House ░░░░░░░░ the Biden campaign What ░░░░░░░░ you hearing about how ░░░░░░░░ re feeling about the ░░░░░░░░ Thompson Well today was ░░░░░░░░ a day to stop ░░░░░░░░ bleeding because you had ░░░░░░░░ Zients call a conference ░░░░░░░░ with basically the entire ░░░░░░░░ House staff the entire ░░░░░░░░ staff the president and ░░░░░░░░ vice president had a ░░░░░░░░ conference call right after ░░░░░░░░ with the entire campaign ░░░░░░░░ And the reason is ░░░░░░░░ the morale among the ░░░░░░░░ is incredibly low And ░░░░░░░░ of the reason is ░░░░░░░░ wasn t just the ░░░░░░░░ debate night that re ░░░░░░░░ or reinforced or basically ░░░░░░░░ or at least suggested ░░░░░░░░ Biden might not be ░░░░░░░░ to this job The ░░░░░░░░ thing that the other ░░░░░░░░ they made was that ░░░░░░░░ Biden basically was nowhere ░░░░░░░░ be seen for several ░░░░░░░░ afterward He basically was ░░░░░░░░ he did North Carolina ░░░░░░░░ on teleprompter He did ░░░░░░░░ Monday night on teleprompter ░░░░░░░░ Sunday he did an ░░░░░░░░ Liebowitz photoshoot And that ░░░░░░░░ really depressing morale both ░░░░░░░░ the White House and ░░░░░░░░ campaign This was a ░░░░░░░░ to stop the bleeding ░░░░░░░░ this was getting away ░░░░░░░░ Joe Biden and that ░░░░░░░░ why you finally saw ░░░░░░░░ call congressional leaders That ░░░░░░░░ why you were seeing ░░░░░░░░ meeting with the governors ░░░░░░░░ call the governors And ░░░░░░░░ re really headed up ░░░░░░░░ a point where Joe ░░░░░░░░ is basically fighting for ░░░░░░░░ political life the next ░░░░░░░░ hours SANCHEZ Alex Biden ░░░░░░░░ told donors last night ░░░░░░░░ he blamed his debate ░░░░░░░░ on being too exhausted ░░░░░░░░ fatigue after traveling the ░░░░░░░░ Now Press Secretary Karine ░░░░░░░░ Pierre was asked about ░░░░░░░░ seemingly shifting explanation today ░░░░░░░░ not having mentioned this ░░░░░░░░ she said My bad ░░░░░░░░ mostly focused on the ░░░░░░░░ that the president had ░░░░░░░░ cold that kept him ░░░░░░░░ having a great performance ░░░░░░░░ the debate Walk us ░░░░░░░░ the evolving messaging from ░░░░░░░░ White House and what ░░░░░░░░ re hearing from staff ░░░░░░░░ the reasons that they ░░░░░░░░ giving Thompson I mean ░░░░░░░░ really don t have ░░░░░░░░ time in the segment ░░░░░░░░ go through the shifting ░░░░░░░░ because it is listen ░░░░░░░░ didn t even say ░░░░░░░░ he had a cold ░░░░░░░░ an hour into the ░░░░░░░░ Then earlier this week ░░░░░░░░ know Joe Biden has ░░░░░░░░ really never even referenced ░░░░░░░░ he had a cold ░░░░░░░░ Karine Jean Pierre said ░░░░░░░░ he actually had no ░░░░░░░░ medication when he said ░░░░░░░░ had a cold Then ░░░░░░░░ said Oh it s ░░░░░░░░ about the travel But ░░░░░░░░ you also have to ░░░░░░░░ that he was already ░░░░░░░░ the Eastern time zone ░░░░░░░░ about 10 days before ░░░░░░░░ debate Yes he traveled ░░░░░░░░ lot in early June ░░░░░░░░ they arranged this to ░░░░░░░░ a lot of downtime ░░░░░░░░ the fact of the ░░░░░░░░ is that the White ░░░░░░░░ has still not been ░░░░░░░░ to try to hone ░░░░░░░░ on an explanation for ░░░░░░░░ Joe Biden at the ░░░░░░░░ could not even string ░░░░░░░░ sentences together could not ░░░░░░░░ explain his or articulate ░░░░░░░░ case against Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ that is part of ░░░░░░░░ reason why the crisis ░░░░░░░░ growing and the dissent ░░░░░░░░ growing And that s ░░░░░░░░ the next you know ░░░░░░░░ to six days is ░░░░░░░░ critical for Joe Biden ░░░░░░░░ allay those fears.”