07/18/2024 --axios
Congressional Democrats were baffled Wednesday when President Biden's campaign X account posted "I'm sick" as a fundraising appeal just after the 81-year-old president tested positive for COVID.Why it matters: The post – which exemplifies what many lawmakers feel has been the campaign's tone deafness since the debate – only adds to Biden's rapidly deepening isolation on Capitol Hill."I doubt Joe Biden approved that tweet. Not helpful at all," said one House Democrat who has stayed largely silent on Biden's candidacy since the debate.The lawmaker added: "They need to read the room."A Biden campaign official said it ranked only behind a post after Trump's conviction for top fundraising social media posts of the year.Between the lines: Democrats who spoke to Axios for this story were granted anonymity to speak candidly about their concerns over Biden's candidacy as he recovers from COVID.Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said in a post on X after Biden tested positive, but before the "I'm sick" post, "Fellow House Democrats, can we in this moment unify, show some decency, and simply wish [Biden] a speedy and full recovery?""Please do not use this moment to advance your own political agenda by launching more private or public attacks on Biden," he added.Several House and Senate Democrats offered well wishes, with Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), who has called for Biden to withdraw, posting on X that he and his wife wished Biden "a full and quick recovery from Covid."Driving the news: Biden was scheduled to appear at a UnidosUS conference in Nevada on Wednesday, but the organization's president announced he would be unable to make it after testing positive for COVID.Biden's official presidential X account confirmed the news roughly an hour and 20 minutes later, posting: "I tested positive for COVID-19 this afternoon, but I am feeling good and thank everyone for the well wishes."Simultaneously, Biden's campaign account posted, "I'm sick," followed two minutes later with "of Elon Musk and his rich buddies trying to buy this election. And if you agree, pitch in here," and a donation link. Via XWhat we're hearing: Another House Democrat who has largely held their fire on Biden since the debate told Axios, "Congressional Democrats are also sick.""Sick of the gaslighting, sick of the inaction, and sick of people in positions of power protecting a president about to lose the White House while taking the House with him," the lawmaker said, calling the post "pathetic."A third House Democrat, who has also largely avoided weighing in on Biden's candidacy publicly, called the post "strange.""What ... in the world is this humor," exclaimed a fourth House Democrat, who has been more openly critical of the president.The other side: "The Trump campaign and its billionaire donors and dark money are going to be spending an unprecedented amount of resources," said Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), a staunch Biden ally, pointing to Musk's pledge to donate $45 million a month to a pro-Trump super PAC."So I don't have a problem with witty humor in trying to get donations. I actually thought it was a clever way of probably getting campaign donations, and I think we're likely to see it probably worked," he added.Zoom out: Biden has faced a persistent rebellion on Capitol Hill from lawmakers with concerns about his ability to win the 2024 election – including Democratic leadership.It emerged Wednesday that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) all warned Biden in private conversations that his candidacy could hurt down-ballot Democrats.What to watch: Some Democratic lawmakers hope Biden's convalescence will lead to him ultimately deciding to bow out of the race."It forces some down time in Rehoboth to reflect on things, which can only be a good thing," a fifth House Democrat told Axios.The Biden campaign did not immediately provide comment for this story.Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.