In a private meeting on Thursday, Senate Democrats gathered for a special caucus lunch with President Joe Biden's senior advisers, Mike Donilon and Steve Ricchetti, as well as Biden campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon. The meeting comes amidst growing anxieties within the Democratic party regarding Biden's standing in the presidential race against Donald Trump, following his lackluster debate performance on June 27.

Polling averages have shown a modest decline in Biden's position, and many Democrats are becoming skeptical about his ability to secure victory. There are concerns that if Biden fails to regain momentum, he may also harm the party's chances of gaining control of Congress. Therefore, Democrats want answers from Biden's team about their strategy to turn things around.

Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland expressed his desire to understand the campaign's plan for winning. Meanwhile, a senior Biden adviser assured Democrats that the campaign will emphasize the path to victory and present data to demonstrate minimal movement in the broader race. The adviser also urged Democrats to unify quickly, particularly prior to the Republican convention, in order to refocus on Trump and GOP extremism.

Ahead of the meeting, the Biden campaign shared a memo acknowledging the increased anxiety sparked by the debate performance, which it labeled as a setback. However, the memo argued that Biden still has a viable path to victory, highlighting the fact that internal data and public polling indicate a margin-of-error race in key battleground states.

The meeting with Biden's advisers followed an op-ed by Senator Peter Welch of Vermont, who became the first Democrat to openly call on Biden to exit the race. Welch suggested that Biden's standing has eroded and that the Democratic party has a strong lineup of candidates who could defeat Trump.

Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado also voiced his belief this week that Biden cannot win. The Democrats, holding a slim majority of 51-49 in the Senate, are likely to lose a seat in West Virginia. To maintain the majority, they must defend seats in red states such as Montana and Ohio, as well as in purple states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Nevada. The only potential pickup opportunities for Democrats to flip GOP-held seats lie in the red-leaning states of Florida and Texas.

Two vulnerable Democratic senators, Jon Tester of Montana and Sherrod Brown of Ohio, were unable to attend the meeting due to conflicting schedules. Tester expressed his interest in speaking directly with Biden, emphasizing his desire to see the president. On the other hand, Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, another top target for Republicans in this election cycle, will attend the meeting with Biden advisers. Casey shared that he disagrees with colleagues who believe President Biden cannot win in November.

However, Biden's Democratic skeptics outside of the Senate remain unconvinced that a meeting with his advisers will address their concerns. Aaron Regunberg, a former Democratic state legislator from Rhode Island, stated that sending staff members would not alleviate worries and called for Biden himself to take action. He stressed that the current situation shows Biden trailing significantly in the race.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, in response to questions about Biden's troubles, reiterated his support for the President three times, stating, "I'm with Joe." Schumer dismissed suggestions that he privately expressed differing views, emphasizing his commitment to defeating Donald Trump in November.

As Democrats gather for the private meeting with Biden's team, the party hopes to gain clarity on the campaign's plan to reverse the slide and regain momentum against Trump. The outcome of this meeting will be closely watched as Democrats strategize to secure victory in the upcoming election.