Jen Psaki Leaves Biden in Limbo After ‘Just OK’ Stephanopoulos Interview: I Don’t Know ‘The Best Path Forward’

PSAKI It has now ░░░░░░░░ 10 days since the ░░░░░░░░ presidential debate and let ░░░░░░░░ be honest those 10 ░░░░░░░░ have kind of felt ░░░░░░░░ 10 years in the ░░░░░░░░ world and maybe to ░░░░░░░░ of you out there ░░░░░░░░ I mean the speculation ░░░░░░░░ Joe Biden s future ░░░░░░░░ been rampant The panic ░░░░░░░░ the Democratic Party has ░░░░░░░░ not gone away And ░░░░░░░░ m going to venture ░░░░░░░░ guess that the conversations ░░░░░░░░ all are having at ░░░░░░░░ Fourth of July barbecue ░░░░░░░░ this weekend are maybe ░░░░░░░░ a little bit more ░░░░░░░░ than they usually are ░░░░░░░░ mean the questions I ░░░░░░░░ I m getting from ░░░░░░░░ message from friends and ░░░░░░░░ are twofold what s ░░░░░░░░ to happen and what ░░░░░░░░ the best path forward ░░░░░░░░ I m not going ░░░░░░░░ sit here this afternoon ░░░░░░░░ tell you I know ░░░░░░░░ answer to either question ░░░░░░░░ mean anyone who tells ░░░░░░░░ out there they do ░░░░░░░░ for certain exactly what ░░░░░░░░ going to happen doesn ░░░░░░░░ know for certain exactly ░░░░░░░░ s going to happen ░░░░░░░░ the best thing I ░░░░░░░░ do is tell you ░░░░░░░░ is happening right now ░░░░░░░░ I mean publicly but ░░░░░░░░ also mean my sense ░░░░░░░░ what is happening behind ░░░░░░░░ scenes What is literally ░░░░░░░░ right now is President ░░░░░░░░ is campaigning in Pennsylvania ░░░░░░░░ state for him I ░░░░░░░░ just moments ago and ░░░░░░░░ can see it there ░░░░░░░░ spoke at a church ░░░░░░░░ Philadelphia This morning both ░░░░░░░░ Pennsylvania s U S ░░░░░░░░ senators along with current ░░░░░░░░ former members of the ░░░░░░░░ greeted the president in ░░░░░░░░ seemed like a real ░░░░░░░░ of solidarity especially in ░░░░░░░░ moment It s also ░░░░░░░░ to note that since ░░░░░░░░ debate five sitting members ░░░░░░░░ Congress have publicly called ░░░░░░░░ the president to step ░░░░░░░░ which is not at ░░░░░░░░ insignificant At this point ░░░░░░░░ one of them right ░░░░░░░░ Minnesota Congresswoman Angie Craig ░░░░░░░░ from a swing district ░░░░░░░░ means she is vulnerable ░░░░░░░░ has a vulnerable re ░░░░░░░░ campaign And that s ░░░░░░░░ to know too But ░░░░░░░░ list could absolutely get ░░░░░░░░ after lawmakers return to ░░░░░░░░ tomorrow and in the ░░░░░░░░ ahead Senator Mark Warner ░░░░░░░░ organizing a group of ░░░░░░░░ senators to meet this ░░░░░░░░ to discuss what they ░░░░░░░░ is Biden s best ░░░░░░░░ forward Leader Hakeem Jeffries ░░░░░░░░ holding what sounds like ░░░░░░░░ similar meeting with House ░░░░░░░░ this afternoon And just ░░░░░░░░ a current senior White ░░░░░░░░ official who The New ░░░░░░░░ Times described importantly as ░░░░░░░░ worked with Biden during ░░░░░░░░ presidency vice presidency and ░░░░░░░░ the 2020 campaign said ░░░░░░░░ he should not seek ░░░░░░░░ election Now this person ░░░░░░░░ t named we don ░░░░░░░░ know who it is ░░░░░░░░ I can tell you ░░░░░░░░ aren t too many ░░░░░░░░ who fit that description ░░░░░░░░ s basically an indication ░░░░░░░░ even longtime loyalists may ░░░░░░░░ serious doubts about his ░░░░░░░░ forward Now what s ░░░░░░░░ clear from the reporting ░░░░░░░░ that the president s ░░░░░░░░ which is important including ░░░░░░░░ wife Dr Jill Biden ░░░░░░░░ his son Hunter Biden ░░░░░░░░ him to stay in ░░░░░░░░ race What is not ░░░░░░░░ is beyond his family ░░░░░░░░ a small group of ░░░░░░░░ how many other people ░░░░░░░░ real influence right now ░░░░░░░░ this moment Over the ░░░░░░░░ of the last week ░░░░░░░░ you should know we ░░░░░░░░ seen some polls that ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump extending his ░░░░░░░░ over the president after ░░░░░░░░ debate Some polls do ░░░░░░░░ that Just this weekend ░░░░░░░░ Bloomberg poll in seven ░░░░░░░░ states showed that the ░░░░░░░░ between Trump and Biden ░░░░░░░░ as narrow as it ░░░░░░░░ been since last October ░░░░░░░░ the race has been ░░░░░░░░ it hasn t moved ░░░░░░░░ even despite the debate ░░░░░░░░ yes we are getting ░░░░░░░░ lot of conflicting data ░░░░░░░░ right now We are ░░░░░░░░ it all just like ░░░░░░░░ are And overall it ░░░░░░░░ not an avalanche at ░░░░░░░░ not yet in this ░░░░░░░░ which is all we ░░░░░░░░ talk about of elected ░░░░░░░░ calling on the president ░░░░░░░░ step aside That could ░░░░░░░░ And there s not ░░░░░░░░ polling picture in this ░░░░░░░░ that shows us definitively ░░░░░░░░ the debate was the ░░░░░░░░ ender it might have ░░░░░░░░ like in the moment ░░░░░░░░ Friday President Biden also ░░░░░░░░ down for his first ░░░░░░░░ since the debate with ░░░░░░░░ journalist George Stephanopoulos I ░░░░░░░░ it I watched a ░░░░░░░░ of these I prepped ░░░░░░░░ and others for a ░░░░░░░░ of these I would ░░░░░░░░ it went just okay ░░░░░░░░ the president I mean ░░░░░░░░ many ways people watching ░░░░░░░░ what they wanted to ░░░░░░░░ because for some he ░░░░░░░░ better than he did ░░░░░░░░ the debate he did ░░░░░░░░ was more clear he ░░░░░░░░ much better prepared to ░░░░░░░░ his case and make ░░░░░░░░ case against Trump but ░░░░░░░░ were also some moments ░░░░░░░░ not just one that ░░░░░░░░ not go well Clip ░░░░░░░░ STEPHANOPOULOS And if you ░░░░░░░░ in and Trump is ░░░░░░░░ and everything you are ░░░░░░░░ about comes to pass ░░░░░░░░ will you feel in ░░░░░░░░ Biden I will feel ░░░░░░░░ long as I gave ░░░░░░░░ my all and I ░░░░░░░░ the goodest job I ░░░░░░░░ I can do that ░░░░░░░░ what this is about ░░░░░░░░ ends PSAKI Now I ░░░░░░░░ and I don t ░░░░░░░░ that s what he ░░░░░░░░ thinks but that sounded ░░░░░░░░ me like something a ░░░░░░░░ of his family told ░░░░░░░░ over the last week ░░░░░░░░ so and that in ░░░░░░░░ is a bit concerning ░░░░░░░░ was definitely not the ░░░░░░░░ let s be clear ░░░░░░░░ wanted to hear from ░░░░░░░░ guy running on how ░░░░░░░░ Trump poses an existential ░░░░░░░░ to democracy That s ░░░░░░░░ point of this race ░░░░░░░░ also seemed at moments ░░░░░░░░ little bit in denial ░░░░░░░░ the state of the ░░░░░░░░ and maybe confidence was ░░░░░░░░ strategy going into this ░░░░░░░░ confidence about the path ░░░░░░░░ But it is also ░░░░░░░░ ideal for people watching ░░░░░░░░ looking for a sign ░░░░░░░░ he recognized the difficulty ░░░░░░░░ the path ahead I ░░░░░░░░ overall when the interview ░░░░░░░░ it left us all ░░░░░░░░ this sort of purgatory ░░░░░░░░ the moment I mean ░░░░░░░░ was better than the ░░░░░░░░ not a home run ░░░░░░░░ all And even if ░░░░░░░░ was a home run ░░░░░░░░ interview definitely doesn t ░░░░░░░░ the capacity to change ░░░░░░░░ perception out there of ░░░░░░░░ of voters according to ░░░░░░░░ CBS poll who do ░░░░░░░░ believe that Biden has ░░░░░░░░ mental or cognitive health ░░░░░░░░ serve Even the White ░░░░░░░░ and the campaign know ░░░░░░░░ So what s next ░░░░░░░░ mean as I said ░░░░░░░░ is going to potentially ░░░░░░░░ a very interesting day ░░░░░░░░ Washington when lawmakers return ░░░░░░░░ Capitol Hill And then ░░░░░░░░ Thursday just four days ░░░░░░░░ today the president is ░░░░░░░░ to have a solo ░░░░░░░░ conference after the NATO ░░░░░░░░ That will be another ░░░░░░░░ where he will have ░░░░░░░░ clear another bar to ░░░░░░░░ nerves and essentially buy ░░░░░░░░ All of these interviews ░░░░░░░░ public appearances will be ░░░░░░░░ and picked apart and ░░░░░░░░ They will be looked ░░░░░░░░ through a lens that ░░░░░░░░ harsh or harsher than ░░░░░░░░ candidates are looked at ░░░░░░░░ of the moment we ░░░░░░░░ facing and much harsher ░░░░░░░░ the scrutiny of the ░░░░░░░░ felon wannabe dictator he ░░░░░░░░ running against And while ░░░░░░░░ is happening while Joe ░░░░░░░░ pushes ahead and tries ░░░░░░░░ clear these bars and ░░░░░░░░ concerns that he might ░░░░░░░░ ever be able to ░░░░░░░░ the clock is ticking ░░░░░░░░ s just a fact ░░░░░░░░ mean the election is ░░░░░░░░ than four months away ░░░░░░░░ Democratic convention is seven ░░░░░░░░ away If something else ░░░░░░░░ going to happen if ░░░░░░░░ s a different path ░░░░░░░░ it has to happen ░░░░░░░░ And all the while ░░░░░░░░ threat of Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ only growing With all ░░░░░░░░ happening let s not ░░░░░░░░ the guy who is ░░░░░░░░ running on abusing power ░░░░░░░░ got a green light ░░░░░░░░ the Supreme Court to ░░░░░░░░ power The stakes of ░░░░░░░░ election have never been ░░░░░░░░ than they are right ░░░░░░░░ And when it comes ░░░░░░░░ the path forward that ░░░░░░░░ be about the only ░░░░░░░░ the Democrats agree on ░░░░░░░░ now.”