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President Joe Biden and Gov. Whitmer
Following President Joe Biden's shaky debate performance Thursday night, speculation again surfaced that he might be replaced on the November ballot with someone like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
But former Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer tells the Detroit Free Press the possibility of Whitmer, 52, stepping in is extremely unlikely.
"I think it's a fantasy. It's incredibly far-fetched," he said.
Other names of Biden replacements that have surfaced include California Gov. Gavin Newsom, 56, and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, 51.
Whitmer has repeatedly said she has no interest in 2024 and is helping Biden, 81, get re-elected.
On Friday, Helen Hare — a spokesperson for the Whitmer PAC supporting the President's reelection campaign — responded in an email to the Free Press: "Joe Biden is our nominee and the Governor is proud to support him."
The campaign likely has two choices: To have Biden step aside sooner than later or double down and make as many appearances on the campaign trail and on TV and try to prove that Thursday's debate was a mere hiccup on the rooad to re-election.
On Friday, Biden, appearing totally energized and far more articulate than on Thursday, appeared in Raleigh, N.C. and told the crowd:
"Folks, I don’t walk as easy as I used to. I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used to, but ... I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong, and I know how to do this job. I know, like millions of Americans know, when you get knocked down, you get back up."
