On Saturday, about an hour before the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden was in the middle of a heated phone call with moderate House Democrats.
According to multiple sources, the Zoom call did not go well for the president.
The call was between the New Democrats Coalition, which includes a mix of nearly 100 moderate members and a few adjacent progressive members, and President Biden, and focused primarily on members’ concerns about Biden’s ability to win the election.
A House Democrat on the call told ABC News that Biden was unprepared to answer questions, gave “rambling answers” without addressing questions and downplayed their concerns.
Members were largely dismayed by Biden’s presentation, his lack of strategy and his preparation for anticipated questions, sources said.
He was also late for the roll call by about 30 minutes, sources said.
President Joe Biden walks out of the Oval Office toward Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, July 15, 2024
Samuel Corum/AFP via Getty Images
The call turned personal during what was described as a “tense” exchange with Colorado Democratic Rep. Jason Crow, according to multiple sources.
Crow questioned Biden’s mental health and whether his age posed a “national security risk.” The president was “defensive” in his responses, sources said.
One member described the exchange to ABC News as “hard to watch” and detailed how Crow referenced voters’ concerns about Biden being “at the helm when they go to sleep at night.”
The conversation turned personal when Biden mentioned Crow’s Bronze Star and tried to bring up his son Beau, the member said. Two sources described Biden’s exchange with the former Army Ranger as “incoherent” and “unintelligible.”
One member suggested to ABC News that members on the call were left “appalled” after that particular exchange — some shaking their heads, some with their hands over their faces in apparent shock.
Rep. Jason Crow speaks during a House Rules Committee hearing to discuss a bill that would sanction the International Criminal Court (ICC), on Capitol Hill on June 3, 2024 in Washington, DC.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images, ARCHIVES
A member confirmed to ABC News the accuracy of Biden’s following comments targeting Crow:
“You saw what happened recently in the meeting we had with NATO. I’m the one who set up NATO,” Biden said.
“Name me one foreign leader who thinks I am not the most effective foreign policy leader in the world. Tell me! Tell me who it is! Tell me who put NATO back together!” he said.
“Tell me who expanded NATO, tell me who did the Pacific Rim! Tell me who did something you never did with your Bronze Star like my son — and I’m proud of your leadership, but guess what, what’s happening, we have Korea and Japan working together, I put together AUKUS, anyway!” he said.
“Things are in chaos, and I’m going to bring some order to them. And again, find me a world leader who is an ally of ours and doesn’t think I’m the most respected person they’ve ever known,” he said.
Biden also called on members of Congress to do a “better job” of promoting his successes, suggesting that their lack of support was somehow the reason for the erosion of his electoral standing, according to one source.
According to a source, the call was monitored by the Biden team and ended before members could ask questions. Biden told members he had to go to Mass.
Sources told ABC News that without the assassination attempt on the former president, several Democrats were potentially ready to call on Biden to step down once the call ended.
The next day, Sunday, Crow appeared on television, saying the conversation with the president and the New Democratic Coalition had been “robust.”
“Look, you know, it’s a tough job. There’s a lot at stake. Emotions can be high,” he said Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
“I think the president heard our message very clearly, and he even promised to come back to us with more information,” he added.
Several Democrats also released statements after the call, congratulating the president.
Rep. Ann Kuster, a New Hampshire Democrat and chairwoman of the New Democrat Coalition, said the conversation was “frank, respectful and productive.”
“Going forward, we expect President Biden to do everything in his power to demonstrate to the American people that Democrats will retain the White House and flip the House,” she said in a statement.
The Biden-Harris campaign declined to comment, but pointed to various social media posts from members supporting the president.
The campaign also did not dispute Crow’s account of the exchange with the president.
ABC’s Mariam Khan, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim and Lauren Peller contributed to this report.
