Former President Donald Trump is slated to face off against Biden this November, and it looks like his family and campaign team are rooting for Biden to remain his opponent.
“I think he’s doing OK enough to stay. The press, I think their mission was to try to get him out with this, but I don’t think they are going to,” Donald Trump Jr. said in a livestream on Thursday.
Trump’s eldest son weighed in on Biden’s candidacy in the latest episode of his podcast, “Triggered with Don Jr.” Notably, Trump Jr. sprinkled in some praise for Biden while volleying insults at him.
“I don’t think anyone wants to call this guy at an emergency at 3 o’clock in the morning but you know, he did an hour. It’s almost an hour,” Trump Jr. said midway through Biden’s press conference.
“I think he did better than I actually thought he was going to do. I don’t think it was a great job by any means, but I think it’s a big one,” he said near the end of the podcast.
The Trump camp is itching for a 2020 rematch
The New York Times’ Jonathan Swan reported on Thursday that people close to Trump are rejoicing that Biden performed decently at the press conference.
Swan wrote that Trump’s people believe it’ll now be harder for the Democratic Party to boot Biden off the ticket — and they’re holding on to hope that Trump can secure a landslide victory if Biden stays his opponent.
Also on Thursday, Politico spoke to a Trump advisor who was granted anonymity to discuss the campaign.
“Democrats’ worst nightmare is unfolding,” the advisor told the outlet. “He gave us enough new material and may stave off his insurrection.”
The Trump campaign had already expressed its preference for Biden as a candidate even before Biden’s disastrous debate on June 27.
Trump’s campaign advisor Susie Wiles also called Biden a “gift” in an interview with The Atlantic’s Tim Alberta in mid-June, which was published Wednesday.
When approached for comment, a spokesperson for Trump pointed to a clip of Trump speaking at a campaign event in Florida on Tuesday.
“Despite all the Democrat panic this week, the truth is, it doesn’t matter who they nominate because we are going to beat anyone of them in a thundering landslide,” Trump said.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Despite all the Democrat panic this week, the truth is, it doesn’t matter who they nominate—because we are going to beat ANY ONE of them in a thundering landslide this November—because we have the policies that will Make America Great Again, and they don’t. pic.twitter.com/5JBtLa5FnZ
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) July 10, 2024
Biden has repeatedly insisted that he’ll not step away from his 2024 bid, but his party might not share that same zeal.
At least 16 House Democrats and one Democratic senator have called on Biden to quit following his poor debate performance.
Others, like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, haven’t explicitly called for Biden’s removal but held back from endorsing him as the party’s candidate.
“It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run. We’re all encouraging him to make that decision. Because time is running short,” Pelosi said during an interview with MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Wednesday.
Representatives for Biden didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from BI sent outside regular business hours.
