MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell questioned on air Monday whether it's a mistake for President Biden to surround himself with a group of top advisers who are “all white men in their 60s” ahead of Thursday's CNN presidential debate.
Mitchell made the comment during an interview with Adrienne Elrod, chief spokesperson for Biden's re-election campaign, who joined “Andrea Mitchell Reports” to discuss her outlook ahead of the long-awaited showdown between Biden and former President Trump.
BIDEN'S TOP AIDE CONCERNED ABOUT 'TERRIFYING' SITUATION THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS NO SERIOUS PLAN TO BEAT TRUMP: REPORT
US President Joe Biden and then-Chief of Staff Ron Klain arrive at an event to welcome Zients in the East Room of the White House on February 1, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Toward the end of the interview, Mitchell highlighted a recent New York Times article detailing the advisers Biden has come to rely on in his bid to retain the White House. The article, titled “The Insiders: 3 Men at the Center of Biden's Brain,” lists former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain, longtime Biden adviser Mike Donilon, and former Sen. Ted Kaufman as critical figures in Biden's inner circle.
“There's a profile of the president's three closest advisers, his longest-serving advisers, his informal and formal advisers, and they're all white men 60 or older; former Senator Ted Kaufman is 85. Is that too insular? Mitchell asked.
Elrod responded by attacking Trump's position on the border and economic achievements before defending the president's closest advisers.
Annie Tomasini, deputy chief of staff, from left, US President Joe Biden, Bruce Reed, White House deputy chief of staff, and Michael C. Donilon, senior adviser to US President Joe Biden, on the South Lawn of the White House following their arrival on Marine One in Washington, DC, USA, on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (Photographer: Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“I know them very well. These are loyal and dedicated public servants who have a lot of experience and who were part of the team that really helped implement some of these important economic policies during President Biden's first term in the White House.” he told Mitchell.
“They are long-time allies of the president, of course they should be present in the preparation of the debate,” he continued.
Elrod went on to say that there are “a lot of other women” around the president, including former White House deputy chief of staff Jen O’Malley Dillon and his longtime adviser Anita Dunn, who will make sure he is sufficiently prepared to face his political opponent on live television.
“You have the team around you that will make sure you are best prepared for this debate,” he told Mitchell.
BIDEN'S SECRET WEAPON IN PREVIOUS NATIONAL DEBATES MAY AGAIN BE A FACTOR DURING CONFRONT WITH TRUMP
The New York Times article states that while Biden has assembled a “diverse group of advisers” in the run-up to November, few have the “influence of three men in his inner circle during his last campaign.”
Biden reportedly calls Donilon “several times a day” to go over the latest headlines and polls. He summons Klain “once a week” to prepare “the best attacks” to use against Trump in the upcoming debate and reportedly “looks up” Kaufman when he goes to Delaware on weekends, according to the Times .
Andrea Mitchell on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 (Photo by: Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
“Although he is surrounded by a diverse, multi-generational crowd of campaign operatives, policy experts and Cabinet secretaries, he reserves all his trust for a small circle of insiders who are the definition of old school,” the statement reads. article.
The Times article comes shortly after Axios published a story citing President Biden's Democratic strategists and advisers who are concerned about the direction of the campaign driven by Biden's inner circle.
'THE ARTICLE WAS BS': BIDEN'S CABINET SHOTS AGAINST SCARING REPORT EXPOSING DECREASING MENTAL ACUITY
“It's not clear to many of us watching from the outside whether the president and his core team realize how serious the situation is right now, and whether they even have a plan to fix it,” said a Democratic strategist who communicates with the Biden campaign. he told Axios.
An anonymous official told the outlet that some advisers feel pressure not to speak at meetings, especially when they are in the presence of Biden's most trusted advisers.
“Even those close to the center are hesitant to raise skepticism or doubts about the current path, for fear of being seen as disloyal,” an anonymous official told the outlet.
“There is no discussion about the need for a change of course,” the same anonymous official told Axios.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Some Biden advisers disputed claims by Democratic officials and strategists who said they had doubts about Biden's November campaign plan, telling the outlet: “These people clearly haven't heard from Mike [Klain]”.
Fox News' Jeffrey Clark contributed to this report.
