https://www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-camp-dismisses-dem-talk-biden-debateJOE BIDEN HAS NO PLANS TO QUIT the presidential race. Nor does Donald Trump’s campaign expect him to.
Amid the fallout from the president’s dire performance in Thursday night’s debate, those familiar with Trump’s campaign say it remains focused on Biden as the Democrats’ de facto nominee. Kamala Harris is and will remain Biden’s running mate, they believe. All the panicked chatter among Democrats of her or a swing-state governor replacing Biden atop the ticket is just that: talk.
“It’s a fascinating parlor game. But a lot of it is just mental masturbation,” said a top Republican insider, reflecting the mindset in Trump’s orbit. “Nothing’s changed. He’s the sitting president with 90 percent of the delegates committed. I don’t care if he’s FDR in a fuckin’ wheelchair: He’s still the sitting president.”
Trump world’s stay-the-course approach in the debate aftermath is a rare bit of strategic convergence with Biden’s own operation. The president’s team and allies have tried to downplay his Thursday evening performance even as they acknowledge its unevenness. They’ve vowed to push forward through the calls among fellow party members that Biden leave the race.
