Biden campaign chair gives a staunch defense of the president’s health to donors, says campaign is clear-eyed about debate

President Joe Biden’s campaign chair on Monday told members of the campaign’s National Finance Committee that the team is “clear-eyed, not pollyannish” after the president’s poor debate performance, two participants on the call told CNN, but offered no indication Biden was reconsidering his bid for a second term.

President Joe Biden’s campaign chair on Monday told members of the campaign’s National Finance Committee that the team is “clear-eyed, not pollyannish” after the president’s poor debate performance, two participants on the call told CNN, but defended Biden’s health and offered no indication he was reconsidering his bid for a second term. Jen O’Malley Dillon held the virtual meeting with about 500 donors, whose pictures spread across 21 pages of Zoom screens. The meeting was called in hopes of easing the tensions and answering questions top Democrats have been raised in response to Biden’s dismal debate performance Thursday night. Dillon offered no indication that Biden was considering changing course, three participants on the call told CNN, as she offered a staunch defense of his health. She pointed to the president’s health report released by his doctors earlier this year, which declared him fit to serve. “He’s probably in better health than most of us,” Dillon said, according to two of the participants, one of whom said the comments were offensive and dismissive of the real concerns about Biden in the wake of his debate performance. A member of the National Finance Committee who participated in the call said it was disappointing that the top Biden official sought to downplay the concerns, rather than hear them. Questions were allowed, but they were read by staff members, rather than donors themselves.