(NewsNation) — The Biden-Harris campaign is shifting into “high gear” amid widespread concerns about the president’s age and performance, according to an internal memo obtained by NewsNation.
The note served as an update on the “path ahead,” laying out a plan to defeat former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election. Data and polling, it said, point to a margin of error race in key battleground states. As for lingering questions surrounding Democrats’ nominating process, the campaign must convince voters their distaste for Trump outweighs any concerns about the 81-year-old incumbent’s age, the memo stated.
“Voters turned on the debate knowing Joe Biden was old, but having forgotten how much they dislike Donald Trump,” it read. “They left the debate with a fresh reminder of how extreme a second Trump term would be and how much they dislike him.”
The campaign must also secure multiple paths to 270 electoral votes, with a particular focus on so-called “blue wall” states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, it said. Other strategy goals include doubling down on grassroots support and driving an “ambitious agenda for the future.”
“No one is denying that the debate was a setback,” the memo read. “But Joe Biden and this campaign have made it through setbacks before. We are clear eyed about what we need to do to win.”
Biden is scheduled to take questions from the White House press corps at 6:30 p.m. ET at the end of a NATO summit in Washington. NewsNation will livestream the news conference here.