Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker heads to Washington to meet with President Joe Biden, other governors about debate performance

CHICAGO (WLS) — Gov. JB Pritzker traveled to the White House to meet with President Joe Biden and his fellow Democratic governors on Wednesday, amid growing concern within the party about the president’s ability to continue seeking a second term.

Pritzker, who had been floated by pundits as a possible 2024 White House contender before the president announced his reelection campaign, has repeatedly pledged his loyalty to Biden. Pritzker’s only public criticism of Biden has been to call for more help for migrants arriving in Illinois.

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But in an interview with CNN Tuesday night, the governor expressed mild concern about Biden’s campaign, while stating unequivocally that he would continue to support the president’s candidacy “unless he makes another decision.”

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Wednesday’s meeting follows Biden’s performance in the first of two scheduled debates with former President Donald Trump last week, which raised concerns about the president’s mental acuity.

Joe Biden has privately acknowledged that the next few days will be critical to the future of his campaign, according to sources close to the president. At least two people close to the president say he still sees himself as the best candidate to defeat Donald Trump, despite his performance in last week’s debate.

But Biden reportedly indicated he was keeping an “open mind” about the path forward.

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Pritzker was one of 24 Democratic governors, as well as the mayor of Washington, D.C., who attended the meeting, and one of 12 to attend in person.

“I think they’re going to put pressure on him to do something, so he can’t just say, ‘Everything’s going to be fine. Just trust me,'” said John Ark Hansen, a political science professor at the University of Chicago.

After the meeting, Democratic governors said they supported the president.

Biden met for more than an hour at the White House, in person and virtually, with more than 20 governors from his party. The governors told reporters afterward that the conversation was “frank” and said they expressed concerns about Biden’s performance in last week’s debate.

But they did not join other Democrats in urging him to quit the race.

“The president is our candidate. The president is the leader of our party,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said. He added that during the meeting, Biden “made it very clear that he was in it to win.”

On Tuesday night, Pritzker appeared on CNN, where he criticized not Biden’s debate performance directly, but what he has done — or not done — since.

“We haven’t heard much from him since the debate, and that’s why the polls are the way they are,” Pritzker said. “I think when you come out of a bad debate, you have to remind people why you’re the perfect person to elect.”

But he immediately added that he hoped Biden would engage more with the public “over the next couple of weeks.”

“At least I expect him to, or he’ll make a different decision,” the governor said of Biden’s candidacy. “And I think that’s again a healthy conversation that we all need to have,” he added.

Wednesday’s meeting follows a call earlier this week hosted by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who chairs the Democratic Governors Association. Pritzker made clear that none of the governors on that call said they wanted Biden to step down. Rather, he said, they wanted reassurance about the president’s campaign strategy.

“I think this debate has raised questions, and I hope this is just a one-off situation that the president can rectify by letting everyone know, once again, all the great things he’s done for working families across America,” Pritzker said.

The governor has repeatedly expressed confidence that as Nov. 5 approaches, Biden and his spokespeople will effectively demonstrate that the president is a clear “contrast” to former President Donald Trump, whom he called a “despotic narcissist.”

“He’s a convicted felon and a convicted rapist, and he’s a congenital liar,” Pritzker said, repeating a well-rehearsed description he has used in local and national appearances since Trump was convicted May 30 by a New York jury in a case centered on his hush-money payments to a porn star.

Last-minute changes to the presidential candidate list have occurred before, most notably in 1968, when a chaotic stampede occurred among delegates to the Democratic National Convention after President Lyndon Johnson decided not to run again.

Experts believe Biden must decide his future soon.

“If he’s going to resign, he should do it now to give the Democratic Party an opportunity to reorganize, to find their nominee, whether it’s the vice president or someone else,” said election lawyer Burt Odelson.

The party must nominate a candidate virtually 12 days before the 2024 DNC begins in Chicago in order to qualify to appear on the ballot in Ohio, with its 17 electors. The White House is adamant that Biden remains in the race.

“I don’t see him fading away,” Odelson said. “I do if you look at his history. Every time he’s faced adversity, he’s gotten back up.”

Ultimately, Joe Biden is the only one who can make the decision about his future. And it seems clear that he understands the need to quickly demonstrate to the American people that he is physically and mentally capable of serving another term.

Capitol News Illinois and The Associated Press contributed to this report.