Fear among Democrats visible as Jill Biden opens campaign office in Michigan

Jill Biden, the first lady, tried to reassure a room full of Democrats in Michigan on Wednesday that her husband was up to the job and could still win a second term in the White House, despite a rocky debate performance last week. Not everyone was convinced.

“Because there’s a lot of talk about it,” Dr. Biden told a crowd celebrating the opening of a campaign headquarters on the outskirts of Traverse City, “let me reiterate what my man has said clearly and unequivocally: Joe is the Democratic nominee and he’s going to beat Donald Trump, just like he did in 2020.”

But inside and outside the cramped office where the first lady spoke, some Democrats expressed concerns about President Biden’s age and said they feared he could lose in November.

Reba Leiding, 74, who rode her bike outside the event, said she was “sick with worry.” She said she planned to vote for Biden if he stayed in the race, but she thought others might not.

“I’m just worried that his performance in the debate will make enough people think he’s not competent and that he’s not going to win,” said Ms. Leiding, a retired academic librarian. “And I think Trump is a disaster.”

Across the street from Dr. Biden’s motorcade, two men who described themselves as committed Democrats held up homemade signs as the event ended. The message on their placards: “Step Aside Joe!”

“I’m just concerned about his diminished capacity,” said one of the sign holders, Steven Holl, 69, a retired therapist who said he campaigned for the president over the weekend and would do so again if he stays in the race. “I love Joe Biden. I love what he’s done. I think he’s been a great president. And unfortunately, I think time is catching up with him.”

Not every Democrat voiced those concerns. Dr. Biden and other speakers drew sustained applause as they laid out the president’s case in the new campaign headquarters. Dawn Wahlstrom, 68, said she had been impressed with Biden’s work, was hopeful about the election and would vote for the Democratic nominee, whether it was Biden or someone else.

“I’m very happy with the platform and everything that Biden-Harris has done,” Ms. Wahlstrom said. “So I’m very optimistic, and I think most of my friends are pretty optimistic.”

Ms. Wahlstrom was one of dozens of Democrats who crowded into a sultry room decorated with American flags and signs reading “Michigan Is On Board.” Some speakers acknowledged growing concerns about Biden, but no one elaborated. Michigan, which Trump won in 2016 but Biden won in 2020, is seen as crucial for Democrats to win in November.

Chasten Buttigieg, the husband of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and a Traverse City resident, told the crowd, “I know there’s been some hand-wringing this past week, but you can’t wring your hands when you roll up your sleeves.” Ed Duggan, who is running the Democratic campaign in Michigan, rattled off the president’s accomplishments but said, “We still have some work to do here in Michigan,” an apparent allusion to polls that largely show Biden trailing in the state.

Traverse City, population 15,700, is a waterfront city that caters to tourists. This week, it was busy with vacationers and locals alike, attending the National Cherry Festival, preparing for Independence Day and, in some cases, keeping abreast of national political news.

The county, Grand Traverse County, is politically mixed: Trump won it by three percentage points in 2020, but Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat who some voters had been eyeing as a possible replacement for Biden on the presidential ticket, won it by six percentage points in 2022.

Traverse City Mayor Amy Shamroe, who attended the first lady’s event, said she had heard some concerns about Mr. Biden’s debate performance, especially in the immediate aftermath. But Ms. Shamroe, 44, said she hoped Mr. Biden would stay in the race.

“I think Biden and Harris have done remarkable things,” the mayor said, citing the administration’s work to improve infrastructure and lower insulin prices.

Others in the room were nervous. Trenton Lee, a Democrat hoping to win a Republican seat on the Grand Traverse County Commission, said he would vote for Biden if the president stayed in the race. But Lee, 31, said he sensed that many of his colleagues were skeptical of the president. Lee said several people had encouraged him to “ask Jill to let him resign.”

If the president were to stay in the race, Lee said, he would worry about Democratic voters “staying on the bench,” which would hurt not only the party’s chances of retaining the White House but also those of lower-ranking candidates like himself.

“I respect Joe Biden and his service to his country,” Mr. Lee said, “but I think the next generation of voters deserves a little bit better choice.”