Jill Biden defies Democrats over calls for husband to stand down

Jill Biden defended her husband in a phone call with American Vogue, following the presidential debate - NORMAN JEAN ROY/VOGUE.COM

Jill Biden will not let her husband’s disastrous debate performance “define the four years he’s been president” she said, defying Democrat donors calling on him to quit the race.

The first lady, 73, gave an interview to American Vogue amid the most dangerous moment of Joe Biden’s re-election campaign, following his head-to-head with Donald Trump on Thursday.

Mr Biden is facing calls to step aside and allow a younger candidate to replace him, after he froze repeatedly on the debate stage and appeared to be confused by his own lines.

Some Democrats have said the party is “f---ed” at the next election if he remains the party’s candidate, and called on Mrs Biden to intervene and encourage him to stand down.

However, the first lady told Vogue she would stand by her husband and that his campaign was “best for the country”.

In comments sent to the magazine after the cover interview had been conducted, she said she “will not let those 90 minutes define the four years he’s been president”.

“We will continue to fight,” she said.

The first lady was Vogue's cover star this month and told the magazine 'we will continue to fight' - NORMAN JEAN ROY/VOGUE.COM

‌Democrat donors have turned on the first lady over her failure to advise her husband to pull out of the 2024 presidential race.

“Lots of people are blaming his wife…for not telling him [to step aside],” one told the New York Post.

‌Democrat donors have turned on the first lady over her failure to advise her husband to pull out of the race - Norman Jean Roy

A second strategist told Axios: “This is no longer about Joe Biden’s family or his emotions. This is about our country. It’s an utter f---ing disaster that has to be addressed.”

Mr Biden’s family have blamed his campaign team for the debacle, pointing to his week-long preparation at Camp David in the days before the debate.

Those familiar with the family’s thinking told Politico Mr Biden was “not prepared to pivot more to go on the attack” and was “overworked and not well-rested”.

Further sources said Mr Biden was upset by the criticism, but was completely committed to staying in the race. In private conversations, he has reportedly asked his aides and allies about what they are hearing in the Democrat camp.

The Vogue interview was conducted ahead of the CNN debate but the publication followed up with Mrs Biden via phone on Sunday.

Hunter Biden is also said to be one of the strongest voices urging his father to resist the pressure to stand aside.

The New York Times reported that Hunter, 54, is desperate for his father’s awkward display in front of 50 million American viewers on Thursday not to become his legacy, according to a source.

Hunter Biden is reported to be one the strongest voices urging his father to resist stepping down - AFP Contributor#AFP

The ageing president’s oldest child is currently facing his own battles, following his federal gun conviction earlier this month and a trial set for September over tax evasion charges.

The Biden’s campaign’s official line is that the US president is “getting back up again” after a poor performance on Thursday.

The campaign has issued a new advert featuring a fiery speech given by Mr Biden on Friday, arguing that while he knows he is “not a young man”, but he can “do this job” and “tell the truth”.

Another person privy to the discussions told The New York Times “the entire family is united”, adding that there was no talk of Mr Biden backing out.

The 81-year-old president has previously said he would never run a political campaign without the backing of his family.

Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi, two of Mr Biden’s most high-profile allies, have given interviews supporting his reelection bid, while the campaign held 1,500 events across the US at the weekend.

Julie Chavez Rodriguez, the campaign’s chairman, and Senator Chris Coons spoke to concerned Democrat donors on Sunday to argue replacing Mr Biden would be “messy and impractical”.

The team is also discussing holding a round of interviews or a major speech to address concerns about his age.

The blame game over Mr Biden’s performance has also extended to Democrats running for election in House of Representative elections in November. Some have distanced themselves from the president in the hope it will aid their campaigns.

Matt Cartwright, a Pennsylvania Democrat, told The Wall Street Journal: “[Voters] know who I am, and they know I’m not the same guy as whoever’s in the White House.”

Polls shows the Democrats generally outperform Mr Biden by six percentage points. Forty-six per cent of voters say they want a Democrat president, versus 40 per cent who want Mr Biden to run the country.

Some donors have ramped up their spending on the November elections, but are now focusing on marginal House races amid concerns Mr Trump would be able to pass legislation more easily in a second term if he did not face a Congress controlled by Democrats.

Play The Telegraph’s brilliant range of Puzzles - and feel brighter every day. Train your brain and boost your mood with PlusWord, the Mini Crossword, the fearsome Killer Sudoku and even the classic Cryptic Crossword.