salt Lake City – A handful of Democratic governors explained to Fox News Digital whether they would like President Biden to step aside from his re-election campaign, as the commander-in-chief once again raised eyebrows with back-to-back gaffes that confused the vice president. Kamala Harris with former President Donald Trump And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Russia’s Vladimir Putin the same day.
A day after Biden introduced Zelensky as “President Putin” at the NATO conference in Washington DC, the Ukrainian leader was in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he addressed attendees at the summer meeting of the National Governors Association (NGA).
Zelensky on Friday described the conflict that has been going on for more than two years as “the most transparent battle between good and evil of our time,” and expressed gratitude to the “American leadership” for responding to Russia’s “unprovoked and unjustified aggression.”
Fox News Digital asked Colorado Governor Jared Polis, a Democrat and the incoming 2024-2024 NGA president, after the speech whether Biden’s Zelensky’s allusion to Putin A day earlier he had said that the US President is a strong enough candidate to represent the United States on the world stage.
Campaign crisis: Democrats have called on Biden to drop out or raised concerns about his health
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis speaks at a news conference at the National Governors Association 2024 Summer Meeting in Salt Lake City, Friday, July 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
But the police dodged him Addressing Biden’s mess Simply. “I’ve been at this conference all day, so I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Polis said. “But I think President Zelenskyy has made a very strong argument for why this is important not just for Ukraine, for Europe, but frankly for the global world order.”
“I mean, you know, when you have a bully in front of you, you have to stand up to him. And it’s very important that Europe, the U.S., our Asian allies stand up to Putin’s aggression,” Polis said. He added that Zelensky “has made it very clear” that he’s not calling for U.S. troops on the ground, which would put American lives at risk.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy waves after speaking at the National Governors Association summer meeting in Salt Lake City, Friday, July 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
“They’re asking for our help. I think there was a strong consensus among governors that we want to do what we can,” Polis said. “In fact, the biggest demand, and this really reflects what’s going on, is they need to build more bomb shelters in their schools, in their hospitals. Russia has been indiscriminate in its terror campaign against the Ukrainian people. So it’s very important that we unite and stand up against this.”
However, Polis acknowledged there are discussions about changing strategies, whether it be “campaign messaging” or “candidates,” to ensure Democrats remain competitive enough to win in November.
“Of course, the Democrats can win in November. This is a very close election. I think it’s also fair and objective to say that, yes, President Biden is behind, not far behind, but he is behind. If the election were held today, we would probably lose,” Polis said. “That means we need to make some changes in terms of strategy, to protect freedom, to protect our democracy. We need to look at what that strategy is. Does that mean changing the campaign strategy? The campaign message? The candidate? All of these things are being discussed.”
“I want to make sure that we do our best to protect our democracy, which includes, of course, Support for NATO“This is the global world order, the policies and progress you have made in the last four years,” the governor said. “When you are left behind, it doesn’t mean you give up.”
Biden on Friday night again insisted he was fighting the election and would win.
Fox News Digital spoke with Hawaii Governor Josh Green, another Democrat, during the convention and asked whether Biden is strong enough on the world stage or should step back.
In response, Greene argued that both Biden and former President Donald Trump have “limitations” due to their age — but said Trump’s “personality” was more dangerous to people of both parties.
“President Biden has been extraordinary for our state. When we had a disaster, he stepped in within six hours and declared a major disaster,” Greene said, referring to the Maui wildfires. “He’s helped us recover. I’ve heard from Republicans, governors and people in Congress and Democrats. The only person I’ve never spoken to was Mr. Trump, except to say a few negative things about our state. That shows his personality. Mr. Biden has a good heart.”
President Biden, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, delivers a speech on the occasion of the NATO summit in Washington, Thursday, July 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
“Older people, and I would include Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden in that category, will stumble over words and have moments like that,” Greene told Fox News Digital. “I’m a therapist. I’m very aware of the limitations of Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump. And frankly, Mr. Trump’s limitations are important because his personality creates policy that really, in my opinion, hurts both Republicans and Democrats. That, of course, is what you’re asking of a Democrat.”
Greene also said they will “stay with the president until he accepts the Democratic nomination, if he chooses a different path because Jill or Pelosi or President Obama speak to him from the heart, and they make that decision together.” “That’s their decision,” the governor added. “But we should respect our leaders if they’ve served us for decades. And Hawaii should respect President Biden right now because he’s done so much to help us recover.”
As Zelensky spoke about the need to rebuild in Ukraine after the war, Hawaii must also rebuild after Maui’s wildfires. Green, who governs a chain of islands in the South Pacific, further argued that the Ukraine conflict hits close to home for his state, as there have been instances of Russian warships being off Hawaii’s coasts, and a further deterioration in relations between China and Taiwan or North Korea would have an immediate impact. Given those “geopolitical considerations,” he argued that some “expenditures” were justified, referring to financial support by the United States for Kiev’s war effort.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green speaks at the National Governors Association’s 2024 Summer Meeting on Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Greene still stressed the need for a peace deal, saying that whether it’s Biden or Trump, “no matter who’s leading, this war must end.”
“It is very important,” he said of US support for Ukraine. “There are very real security issues off the coast of Hawaii. Russian warships have been in the region, which we are monitoring all the time. This is something that happens over and over again. They are collecting data. And so that is all I can say. We must support them.” President ZelenskyThat’s it. We must support their people. Because from a human point of view it is a tragedy that the Russian government and Mr. Putin are continuing this war. I would humbly ask them to stop the war, and we would seek a peace treaty, because it is scary to think how many people have died. Even on the Russian side, lives have been lost.”
When asked if Biden is a strong enough candidate to take on Trump in November, Greene claimed the abortion issue would be enough to propel the Democratic nominee to power for the next four years.
“If women make a choice, and I mean Republican women, independent women and Democratic women make a choice that their reproductive rights are important to them, a significant number of them will choose Biden and he will win the election,” the governor said. “Biden was bad during that debate. Trump was bad during that debate. If you really want to know the truth. So we’ll see what happens. But there are 65 million women of reproductive age who I think are going to have something to say about this election. And if they choose the former president. This is democracy. If they choose Biden, they’re probably taking care of their daughters.”
Delaware Governor John Carney looks on during the 2024 Summer Meeting of the National Governors Association on Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Delaware Gov. John Carney, a Democrat who leads Biden’s home state, told Fox News Digital at the NGA’s summer meeting on Thursday that despite Biden’s disastrous debate performance, he thinks the president should stay in the race. Outgoing NGA chair Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox’s 2023-2024 initiative was “Better Ways to Disagree,” which emphasized the need for civility between opposing parties when discussing differences. Carney argued that Biden was the best candidate to continue that spirit.
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“I’m on record as saying he should stay in the race. You know, I see him often. You know, I’ve been to the White House and, you know, I’ve known him for years and know what he stands for. He’s the kind of person who has tried to bring together different sides and viewpoints,” Carney said. “And I’ve heard the whole conversation about disagreements. I would argue he’s the best person to lead the country forward in that regard. With respect to the Democrats and the discussion that’s going on about that candidacy, my impression is that everybody is doing it respectfully.”
