Dems fear 'devastating consequences' in 2022 midterms after Biden's struggles in August: report

Democrats are fearing the political aftermath of a disastrous month for President Joe Biden, according to a new analysis published online Saturday by The Washington Post.

"President Biden is mired in the most devastating month of his tenure in office — struggling to contain a deadly crisis in Afghanistan, an unyielding pandemic and other setbacks that have sent waves of anger and worry through his party as his poll numbers decline," reporters Sean Sullivan, Tyler Pager, and Annie Linksey wrote.

"These anxieties have set off a fresh round of intraparty finger-pointing. Many Democrats increasingly fear that the tenets of Biden's presidency — competence, calm and control — can credibly be called into question for the first time, potentially laying a foundation for devastating consequences in the 2022 midterm elections," the newspaper reported.

The month also saw Biden White House insiders dishing to major newspapers about the administration's mistakes.

"Democrats are defending a narrow majority in the House and the Senate. The president's party historically tends to struggle in their first midterms, spurring nervousness that escalated sharply this month. A Democratic member of the House, speaking on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution, said many in the caucus believe the lower chamber of Congress is already lost in the midterms. Other Democrats said they are bracing for the prospect of Republicans making double-digit seat gains," The Post reported.

The newspaper reported that in "private discussions" some House Democrats have questioned whether Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan should remain employed by the administration.

Twelve years ago, GOP Tea Party activists pounded Democrats during the 2009 August recess, foreshadowing Republicans' huge victory in the 2010 midterm elections.

But White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield pushed back on the idea Biden was struggling.

"I reject the idea that the president's handling of a difficult situation has somehow undermined people's sense of his confidence," said Bedingfield. "It's showing people that he can lead at a difficult time, and that he has a steady hand and that he's committed to transparency."

Read the full analysis.