President Biden is reportedly meeting with Democratic Party leaders in the aftermath of his disastrous first debate appearance.

Dougie Kass, fund manager of Seabreeze Capital Partners LP and a Democratic National Committee insider, said a meeting is being arranged between the president and two Democratic heavyweights.

‘What I am hearing regarding Joe Biden. Ron Klain and Barack Obama are having a sit down with the President today. Jill Biden is insistent that Joe runs,’ Kass claimed via social media  Friday. ‘Kamala is furious that she is not being considered as a replacement (Whitmer and Newsom are).’

Kass added, ‘Interestingly, my neighbor in East Hampton is hosting the Bidens tomorrow. It will be an important tell if the fundraiser is canceled.’

The hedge fund manager’s claim of Democratic leadership meetings comes after Biden’s universally panned debate against former President Trump Thursday night.

With a raspy voice and delivering rambling answers, Biden struggled during portions of Thursday night’s debate. He also lost his train of thought several times, raising concerns among his closest allies in politics and in the media. 

Some strategists have suggested the Democratic Party must act quickly to replace Biden before his nomination is made official in August.

Vice President Kamala Harris has been largely ruled out as a potential replacement due to her unpopularity with voters. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have previously been floated as potential last-minute replacements.

During an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Trump was asked if he believes Biden will be the Democratic nominee. 

‘Yes, I think he will be the nominee,’ Trump said.

Democrats under threat of losing their seats to Republicans appear to be leaving President Biden high and dry after what’s been widely viewed as a ‘disastrous’ performance in Thursday’s presidential debate.

Fox News Digital asked multiple Democratic senators, House members and candidates facing tough races for their reaction to the debate and whether they agreed with the assessment by others in their party that Biden should step aside as a presidential candidate. 

Not one stepped up to defend him.

The names most notably absent from jumping to Biden’s defense were senators Jacky Rosen, D-Nev.; Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.; Jon Tester, D-Mont., Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, all of whom have been quick to praise the president in the more recent past.

Tester, for example, previously described Biden as ‘absolutely 100% with it,’ and said, ‘He’s fine. He’s doing a good job. I think folks are making a bigger deal out of it than it is.’ Republicans have been going after him by running those very words in ads across the state.

Baldwin’s campaign distanced itself from Biden following the debate, telling one news outlet Friday, ‘Tammy Baldwin is running her own race for the people of Wisconsin.’

‘Senate Democrats have been telling Americans Joe Biden is still sharp. Jon Tester even went so far as to say Biden is ‘absolutely 100% with it.’ It is clear they were lying, and voters will remember that in November,’ National Republican Senatorial Committee communications director Mike Berg told Fox News Digital.

Reps. Ruben Gallego, the likely Democratic nominee for Senate in Arizona; Colin Allred, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Texas; Elissa Slotkin, the likely Democratic nominee for Senate in Michigan; and Angela Alsobrooks, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Maryland, also failed to defend Biden when asked about the debate.

Some House Democrats facing tough races, such as Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, have taken a similar approach. The National Republican Congressional Committee on Friday posted a video on social media of Kaptur being trailed in the airport by a GOP operative asking if Biden was ‘fit to be president.’

‘Joe Biden is president,’ Kaptur said, refusing to give a direct answer. When pressed by the operative, Kaptur simply said, ‘Are you fit to be president?’

Kaptur’s campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes won a tight race in Ohio’s 13th Congressional District in 2022, and Cook Political Report ranks her race in 2024 as a ‘Democrat Toss Up.’ Fox News Digital reached out to her office and did not receive a response.

In Washington state, Dem. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is facing a tough reelection campaign that the Cook Political Report ranks as a ‘Democrat Toss Up.’ Her office did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Ohio Rep. Greg Landsman, who also could be facing a tough re-election fight this year, did, however, admit what the others wouldn’t.

‘Biden struggled, but he’s an honest person who cares deeply about the country, and Trump, on the other hand, is a con man and only cares about himself,’ Landsman told Fox News Digital. 

‘I’m not sure what happens next. I’m clear about my job, which is to serve the 700,000 people we represent, working to make life better for children and families by getting costs down, strengthening our democracy, restoring freedoms and helping to solve the big problems we face so families don’t have to worry as much as they do now.’

President Biden’s inner circle is nowhere to be found following what has been described as an ’embarrassing’ and ‘disastrous’ performance by the incumbent Democrat during Thursday’s presidential debate.

Biden was widely panned by media figures and politicians immediately after the debate for his ‘weak’ sounding voice and ‘old’ appearance, as well as for ‘failing’ to convince Americans he has the stamina and ability to serve another four years in the White House.

Fox News Digital reached out to some of Biden’s closest confidants for their response to calls for him to be replaced as the party’s presidential candidate, but none stepped up to defend the president or offer any reaction to the debate. 

The list of Biden’s inner circle that has so far also not made any public comment following the debate includes, former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain, who led debate preparations, his successor, Jeff Zients, senior campaign advisor Anita Dunn, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Counselor to the President Steven Richetti, and a number of others.

Each were part of the group of at least 16 current and former aides assisting with Biden’s debate preparations, which took place over a period of a week at Camp David in Maryland.

Vulnerable Democrats running in tight Senate and House races across the country also stayed silent concerning the debate, and largely didn’t respond to Fox News Digital’s questions surrounding calls for Biden to step aside.

Biden did, however, get some support from former President Obama, who still admitted he had a ‘bad’ debate.

In a message on X, Obama conceded that his former vice president failed to deliver a strong showing for the Democratic Party and the American people.

‘Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know. But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself,’ Obama wrote.

He continued to deride former President Trump and prop up Biden, writing, ‘Between someone who tells the truth; who knows right from wrong and will give it to the American people straight — and someone who lies through his teeth for his own benefit. Last night didn’t change that, and it’s why so much is at stake in November.’

A Cornell University law professor has called on President Biden’s Cabinet to invoke the Constitution’s 25th Amendment to have him removed from office after his weak debate performance Thursday night, claiming his ‘cognitive decline’ is a ‘national security threat.’ 

‘This debate displayed Biden’s severely declined cognitive ability for all the world to see for an hour and a half,’ Professor William Jacobson wrote Friday for Legalinsurrection.com. 

‘The media cannot claim the live video feed from CNN was a manipulated ‘cheap fake’ — the smear campaign used against those of us who have been pointing out the obvious for over a year, but particularly recently with Biden visibly freezing and zoning out in public appearances.’

He said while Democrats are focused on whether a ‘mentally diminished Biden’ can beat former President Trump in the election, ‘no honest person who watched last night’s debate can think that Biden mentally is up to the job of being President.’ 

He called for the 25th Amendment to be invoked to have Biden removed from office.

‘If I’m China, I’m taking off the shelf the war plans to invade Taiwan,’Jacobson said. ‘If I’m Iran, I’m breaking out towards a nuclear weapon. If I’m Putin, I’m doubling down on Ukraine and possibly other former Soviet satellites. Can you imagine an emergency situation where immediate military decisions that only a president can make need to be made in seconds or minutes, and the military having to go to diminished Joe for a decision?’

He added Biden’s ‘cognitive decline is a national security threat of the highest order.’

House Speaker Mike Johnson said something similar Friday. 

‘There’s a lot of people asking about the 25th Amendment, invoking the 25th Amendment right now, because this is an alarming situation,’ Johnson said. ‘Our adversaries see the weakness in this White House as we all do. I take no pleasure in saying that. I think this is a very dangerous situation.’

Under Section 4 of the 25th Amendment, the vice president could assume the presidency if the president is declared unfit for office by the vice president and a majority of the president’s Cabinet or Congress. 

The 25th Amendment was briefly floated near the end of Trump’s presidency following the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, which Jacobson called ‘in bad faith.’

‘Only Democrats can act, and they should before it’s too late,’ he added. 

Biden’s debate performance Thursday evening has worried Democrats, and some have even called for him to drop out of the race. 

Presidential debates changed television.

‘You want to put a lot of new Supreme Court justices – radical left!’ hollered former President Trump at President Biden during the 2020 debate.

‘Will you shut up man?’ implored Mr. Biden.

And television changed politics.

‘It’s easy to say, ‘Oh, you’ve got to look good on television. Therefore, if you don’t, you’re doomed.’ It’s not quite that easy,’ said Walter Podrazik, television curator at the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago. ‘You have to learn how to speak directly through the medium that most people understand. They know television as well as any politician does because they watch it all the time.’

That was the problem facing President Biden in Thursday night’s debate with former President Trump.

Mr. Trump fared better because he appeared engaged. Vigorous. President Biden looked pasty and out of it.

It doesn’t matter what Mr. Biden represents or what his policies are.

When it comes to the debate, you must excel at television.

Debates imprinted the importance of live performance onto the debate genre.

That mixed reality TV with politics – long before reality TV was a thing.

‘I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience,’ quipped a 73-year-old President Ronald Reagan during a 1984 debate with former Vice President Walter Mondale, then a youthful 56.

‘They brought us whole binders full of women,’ said 2012 Republican nominee and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) at one of that year’s debates with former President Obama.

2016 Democratic nominee and former Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., was in the middle of saying something about the Social Security Trust Fund in a debate with Mr. Trump when he fired off this volley.

‘Such a nasty woman,’ sneered the former President.

Debates also amplify on-screen gaffes.

‘There is no Soviet domination in Eastern Europe,’ said President Gerald Ford in a debate with future President Jimmy Carter in 1976.

The remark shocked the press corps.

And Cold War Eastern Europe.

However, debates sometimes deliver unexpected humor.

‘I’m all ears!’ bragged 1992 independent Presidential candidate Ross Perot at a debate with future President Bill Clinton and former President George H.W. Bush.

Perot drew attention to his own features – which stuck out like two taxicab doors, attached to a crew cut.

Sometimes what’s said isn’t even what most people remember. People easily recall the visual of former President Trump, lurking and then creeping onto the screen behind Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Sometimes viewers recall what a candidate does during the debate.

Former Vice President and 2000 Democratic Presidential nominee Al Gore is remembered for his theatrical sighs of exasperation at various orations from future President George W. Bush.

And then there was Bush 41 in 1992 with Bill Clinton and Perot. All three candidates briefly rested against stools as ABC News Anchor and debate moderator Carole Simpson addressed the audience.

The elder Bush slipped a glance at his wristwatch.

Viewers interpreted that presidential peek as a subliminal cue that Mr. Bush’s time in office was up after one term.

The debate between President Biden and former President Trump marked a sea change in the way American voters experience the forum. Both campaigns worked directly with CNN to develop the debate. It’s the first major alteration to debates since 1988. The campaigns cut the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) out of the action this time.

Otherwise, each of the 33 Presidential or Vice-Presidential debates since 1988 has been under the aegis of the Commission. The CPD created the town hall format where average citizens could pose questions directly to the candidates.

That’s how Illinois power plant worker Ken Bone and his red sweater rose to prominence for a hot second after the 2016 town hall debate.

The CPD also hosted the debates at universities. Such was the case with the first debate on September 25, 1988, at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., between then Vice President Bush and then Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis (D).

How they conduct the debates is almost as important as the debates themselves.

‘We want free and fair debates. This commission has shown bias,’ argued former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel on Fox Business in early 2022.

The RNC urged GOP Presidential candidates to refuse to participate in any debate not sanctioned by the GOP.

But the Biden campaign also rejected the Commission on Presidential Debates. It pushed for a June debate and another one in September. The Biden camp also demanded certain rules – including an option for moderators to mute the microphone of a candidate.

In short, both President Biden and former President Trump took their feud outside.

As in outside the Commission on Presidential debates.

Mr. Trump offered a dare to the President.

‘I’m calling on crooked Joe to debate any time, any place,’ said former President Trump.

President Biden called the bluff of his rival. Even chiding Mr. Trump about what day court was out of session in the defamation trial in New York.

‘Make my day, pal. I’ll even do it twice,’ said President Biden in a message posted to X. ‘I hear you’re free on Wednesdays.’

And so the gamesmanship squeezed out the Commission on Presidential Debates.

‘What they wanted to do was what they thought was in the best interests of their candidate,’ said Frank Fahrenkopf, who led the CPD since its inception in 1987. ‘You’ve got two candidates who are unique.’

Fahrenkopf is upset the debates aren’t staged at universities.

‘You’ve lost that being on campus. Kids being involved. A Focus on civics,’ said Fahrenkopf.

Fahrenkopf also lamented the loss of the town hall meeting.

‘The most popular format,’ observed Fahrenkopf. ‘That’s gone.’

What would Ken Bone say?

The first modern Presidential debate unfolded in 1960. The first debate between future President John F. Kennedy and future President Richard Nixon forever fused the presidency and television. It established a paradigm for American politics – and television.

‘This is one of the few times in which neither party, neither candidate, controls the environment. And so, if you’re (a voter) trying to decide or if you’re looking for confirmation, then this is when you’ll see it,’ said Podrazik of the Museum of Broadcast Communications.

There were no more debates until 1976. The League of Women Voters ran the debates until the Commission on Presidential Debates stepped in for the 1988 cycle.

‘What politics did is provided a baseline reality that television can and could embrace,’ said Podrazik.

The debate between President Biden and former President Trump was the first without a studio audience since the initial forum in 1960. It was unclear whether future President John F. Kennedy or future President Richard Nixon won that contest.

Nixon sweated. He sported a five-o-clock shadow. Nixon’s knee smarted after he banged it getting out of the limousine arriving at the debate.

Meantime, Kennedy appeared cool and confident.

It’s said that those listening to the radio believed Nixon won. But people watching TV thought Kennedy prevailed.

But that’s debate folklore – even though publishers have printed that chestnut in every American political science textbook for decades.

I challenge you to locate the study or survey which proves the alleged Nixon/Radio versus Kennedy/TV thesis.

But, that old saw goes to show the importance of grasping the complexities of television – compared to raw debate, say on the radio.

And that’s something else the merging of television and politics provides.

‘It’s all in pursuit of the audience,’ said Podrazik.

And that’s a universal interest between media and politicians.

A bipartisan group of House lawmakers is set to introduce a resolution calling on President Biden to declare the month of July as ‘American Patriotism Month.’

The resolution, which recognizes the U.S. as the ‘greatest country on Earth’ and aims to affirm support from the House of Representatives for the special designation for the month of July, is expected to be introduced by Texas GOP Rep. Roger Williams on Friday.

Pointing to several events and dates that are of significance to U.S. history – including July 4, 1776, when the U.S. declared its independence from British rule – the resolution expresses the importance of ‘patriotism’ and how it has united Americans in the past.

The resolution, which was reviewed by Fox News Digital, states that ‘patriotism has bonded citizens of the United States of America since the foundation of our country,’ adding that the ‘people of the United States hold a deep love for this country and have showed this through patriotic acts throughout history.’

‘The divide in our country is clearer than ever, and there is no better time to rally behind American pride,’ Williams told Fox News Digital. ‘Throughout history, we have created holidays for many groups, but fail to adequately celebrate the patriots who made our freedoms possible.’

He added: ‘Any man or woman, regardless of their background, can be a patriot, and American Patriotism Month is an opportunity to remind us of the values that make our nation great. There is no reason for Biden to deny an opportunity to embrace American pride.’

Co-sponsors include: Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola of Alaska, Republican Rep. Kat Cammack of Florida, Republican Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, Republican Rep. Barry Moore of Alabama, Republican Rep. Diana Harshbarger of Tennessee, Republican Rep. Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma, and Republican Rep. Nathaniel Moran of Texas.

Also mentioned in the resolution are the events of June 6, 1944, when ‘over 73,000 Americans stormed the beaches of Normandy to protect democracy and liberty,’ and remarks from past presidents who pushed for unity throughout the United States.

The text specifically highlights remarks from the inaugural addresses of former Presidents John F. Kennedy, who insisted that Americans should ‘ask what you can do for your country,’ and Ronald Reagan, who said that ‘no arsenal or no weapon in the arsenals of the world is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.’

Touting the ‘leadership of United States Presidents and the American people,’ the resolution notes that ‘America was triumphant in the cold war against the Soviet Union and emerged as the beacon of hope for the free world.’

Also recognized in Williams’ resolution, which has received support from the Eagle Forum, is the resounding unity in the U.S. following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks in New York City. At that time, the resolution notes, ‘American patriots rushed to help one another, defend our country, and defend the values that as Americans we so deeply believe in.’

The resolution also praises those aboard United Airlines flight 93 on September 11, who ‘fought against the hijackers and saved thousands of American lives,’ as well as the ‘181,510 Americans [who] joined the ranks of Active Duty service and 72,908 [who] enlisted in the reserves’ in the year after the attacks.

‘It is because of patriotic men, women, and children throughout all of history that America is the greatest country on Earth,’ the resolution states. ‘Patriotism is a selfless act of love for one’s country and fellow citizens.’

Paying tribute to the more than ‘2,000,000 military personnel who are enlisted to defend the freedoms of all Americans in a selfless act of patriotism,’ the resolution also notes the significance of teaching ‘the younger generations about the importance of United States patriotism and loving one’s country.’

Williams’ resolution calls on Biden to ‘issue an annual proclamation designating ‘American Patriotism Month,” just one day after the president went toe-to-toe with his predecessor, former President Donald Trump, in a heated debate.

Democrats were forced to grapple with a whirlwind of chaos on Capitol Hill Friday after many were left frustrated by President Biden’s debate performance on Thursday night.

‘I think the emotions of the night were basically disappointment, anger, and then by the end it was panic,’ one House Democrat, granted anonymity to speak freely, told Fox News Digital.

‘Now, with that foundation, where do we go? Obviously, there are conversations that I believe need to be had at all levels, with the realization of, this is not just about the presidency, this is about down-ballot.’

Democratic lawmakers were skittish on Friday morning as groups of reporters fervently chased even normally low-profile members for comment on the debate. Several declined to speak with Fox News Digital about the match-up, even when offered anonymity.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., looking noticeably weary, would not answer a reporter’s question on whether Biden was the most effective messenger for the party. 

He said instead, ‘President Biden is scheduled to speak today around noon, as I understand it, in North Carolina. I’m looking forward to hearing from President Biden. And until he articulates a way forward in terms of his vision for America at this moment, I’m going to reserve comment about anything relative to where we are at this moment, other than to say I stand behind the ticket.’

A second anonymous House Democrat, jaded by the process in general but who did not watch the debate, told Fox News Digital, ‘I’ve been hearing everyone freaking out and s—, but debates in this day and age are stupid. Tell me the last debate you saw where you felt good after and learned something?’

‘I bet you the majority of Americans would not choose these two old guys to be the only choice that they have,’ the Democrat said.

One senior House Democratic aide compared the mood on Capitol Hill to what they imagined Republicans went through after a high-profile gaffe by former President Trump during his administration.

‘Coming into work with absolute dread, knowing everyone is gonna come after you, and knowing you have nothing good to say,’ the aide explained.

Biden appeared tired and unfocused at times during his 90-minute face-off with Trump. At one point, Trump fired back, ‘I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don’t think he knows what he said either.’

It exacerbated long-simmering concerns that Biden’s mental acuity has lessened in his advanced age, despite his Republican rival being just three years younger.

A longtime Democratic operative said lawmakers who spoke with them were alarmed by how the debate went.

‘What I’m hearing from people is a sense of disappointment, in that this was a moment that we could have capitalized on and that it was missed. This then leads to panicky responses, like, how do we fix it? What do we do? That’s the underlying discussion right now,’ the operative told Fox News Digital.

Even Democrats who spoke on the record reluctantly admitted that Biden’s performance was less than desirable, but they quickly insisted the election was about far more than a single bad performance.

‘The president doesn’t have a great debate night. That’s very clear. But, you know, this is more than just about one debate performance, but the future of America and the existential threat that Donald Trump poses to Americans and to our national security,’ Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., told reporters.

The top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., said, ‘I think he had a terrible night…bad debate.’ Meeks still maintained that Biden ‘is the right man at the right time to do this job.’

Meanwhile, others within the Democratic sphere expressed frustration at fellow left-wingers – particularly media pundits – who were making their concerns about Biden’s debate performance public.

‘For those who are worried, it’s time to do less worrying and get to work,’ Joel Rubin, a Democratic strategist and former Obama administration Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs to the House, told Fox News Digital in a brief interview in response to the anonymously voiced concerns.

‘We’re four-plus months out, and the Democratic Party in moments like this, we tend to be experts at self-criticism, and we’re seeing it on full display today. But to win this election is not going to be based upon just one candidate being anointed by the heavens…it’s going to be about the whole infrastructure of the Democratic and progressive community mobilizing voters.’

Rubin said, ‘I mean, just because the president had a rough night does not mean that he’s not up to the job and that we stay home and stop fighting for him. He’s earned our support. A rough performance on one night doesn’t eviscerate three and a half years of extraordinary accomplishments.’

Independent and Republican voters in Fox News Digital’s focus group appeared to have mixed reactions to President Biden and former President Trump’s sparring over their respective cognitive abilities and golf handicaps, while Democrats generally disapproved.

During the CNN Presidential Debate on Thursday night, CNN moderator Dana Bash presented the ages Biden and Trump would be at the end of a potential second four-year term. 

Biden would be 86, while Trump would be 82. 

‘I took two cognitive tests, I aced them,’ Trump said. ‘He took none, I’d like to see him take one, just one.’ 

‘I just won two club championships, not even senior, two regular club championships. To do that, you have to be quite smart. And you have to be able to hit the ball a long way,’ the former president continued.

Biden defended his age, saying he ‘spent half my career being criticized about being the youngest person in politics. I was the second-youngest person ever elected to the United States Senate, and now I’m the oldest. This guy is three years younger and a lot less competent.’ 

‘Look, I’d be happy to have a driving contest with him,’ Biden said.

‘I’ve seen you swing. I know your swing,’ Trump fired back. ‘Let’s not act like children.’ 

Biden replied: ‘You are a child.’

According to Fox Digital’s focus group dial, Republicans and independents approved of Trump’s comments, while Democrats did not. 

Likewise, Democratic approval soared during Biden’s responses, while independent and Republican voters’ approval took a nosedive. 

Focus group participants reacted in real time to Biden and Trump, turning dials to indicate approval or disapproval. In the video embedded in this story, Republican participant sentiment is graphed in red, Democrats in blue and independents in yellow.