'Not excited': Trump team fears Biden exit could blow up in their face

President Joe Biden is defying all rumors he may step down from the nomination following his faltering debate performance and intraparty frenzy of speculation over his health. But former President Donald Trump's team privately worries if it ultimately happens, it could backfire on them, reportedThe Washington Post.

According to the report, the Trump campaign's message to surrogates "was that Biden is the Democratic nominee and Democrats are stuck with him, according to a Republican close to the campaign, who like others interviewed for this article spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Biden struggled through the 90-minute faceoff, setting off widespread alarm in his party" — but in reality, behind the scenes, they believe it's a real possibility Biden could be swapped out for someone else, and they fear it could complicate their campaign and force a change of tactics from the campaign they wanted to run.

“I’m going to show up and I’m going to campaign whether it’s him or somebody else,” Trump stated in a recent interview. On the other side, former Democratic strategist David Axelrod told the Post, "It sure seems they want Biden to stay on the ticket. They think he’s vulnerable, and they like where they’re at. You can see they are not excited at all about the prospect of him leaving the race."

A hot mic moment revealed today showed Trump on the golf course boasting he had taken "pile of crap" Biden out of the running, but suggesting Vice President Kamala Harris could be a tougher opponent even as he dismissed her as "pathetic." Harris is the only candidate who, if chosen, could use the war chest Biden has amassed; any others would start out with nothing.

Biden met today with several key Democratic governors, who have emphatically voiced their support for the president staying in the race.

ABC News is also set to reveal a lengthy interview between Biden and George Stephanopoulos at the end of the week, on top of campaign events over the weekend, all of which could set the tone for where the Biden campaign is heading.

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