President Joe Biden’s poor showing at the first presidential debate has ignited tensions between the president‘s relatives and his staff, Biden aides claimed on Saturday.
Sources familiar with the situation told NBC News that Biden’s debate performance exacerbated long-standing hostilities between his family and staff, with all parties pointing fingers in different directions.
“I believe the family has witnessed blunder after blunder by key staff personnel, and the debate is likely the straw that broke the camel’s back,” one source said.
Blame game
Biden’s staff members blamed the president for his debate performance, which agitated the first family, according to the source.
“Post-debate, the supposed loyal staff, instead of taking responsibility, pointed the finger back at the president and said: ‘His fault,’” the source revealed. “I can think of no other singular action that would agitate the Biden family more.”
Biden himself took responsibility for his performance in an interview with ABC News that aired Friday. He said his poor showing was “nobody’s fault but mine.”
The president’s family, on the other hand, allegedly blames Biden’s staff and has discussed firing senior White House adviser Anita Dunn and her husband Bob Bauer, Biden’s personal lawyer. There are reportedly no plans to make any personnel changes.
White House chief of staff Jeff Zients said in a statement that there is “absolutely no truth to these unfounded and insulting rumors” about the Bidens considering firing Dunn and Baur.
“The president and first lady have full confidence in their team, including Anita and Bob,” Zients said.
Advisers believe Biden is at his best when he is unscripted, but when asked why he is not in those situations more often, they continue to point fingers.
Some people aligned with the Biden family have reportedly blamed what they call “the firm” for overly managing the president. Meanwhile, advisers have suggested that the family and longtime staff members who are considered family are too protective of Biden.
‘It’s not helpful’
According to the report, Biden staffers are unhappy with the dynamic shift following the debate. Some staffers have been angered by the hostilities and believe the blame game is getting in the way of the unified approach necessary to help steer him through a public relations crisis over his mental condition.
“It’s not helpful,” one Biden campaign staffer said.
A source close to the president reportedly said his family is not seeing the political reality clearly and characterized the dynamic between family and staff members as “Shakespearean.”
