CNN Officials Remarked Biden's Campaign as a Product of Desperation

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CNN’s Dana Bash says ‘different conversations' will occur if Biden polls plummet post-debate

CNN’s Dana Bash says the Biden campaign has kicked into high-gear to try and ‘stem the bleeding’ from President Biden’s debate performance.

CNN's Dana Bash revealed Monday that conversations about President Biden's ability to win re-election will take a different shape if his polling plummets following his widely panned debate performance.

During an appearance on "CNN This Morning," Bash said those in Biden's inner circle are watching "like hawks" to see if his fundraising dries up or if potential voters turn on the president after they have time to digest debate footage.

"If it looks like the bottom fell out or even close to that, there will be different conversations," Bash said. "That was told to me by people very close to this process. They admitted it, which is why you saw an effort, a war room like I have never seen in Biden land."

The "State of the Union" co-host also struggled to contain her laughter after the Biden campaign shared polling data that showed Biden leading other Democrats in an election match-up against former President Donald Trump.

CNN's "State of the Union" co-host Dana Bash said people close to President Biden may reevaluate his candidacy if polling and fundraising go into free fall. (Screenshot/CNN/Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

"Can you imagine a world in which the political operation is scrambling so much, I would even say desperate to stop everybody from freaking out that you're putting out internal polling on other people to show 'oh yeah? You think it's bad with our guy? Look, what it's going to be with the other people,'" she said.

Biden's campaign staff were on damage control this weekend, working to shore up support among a top donor class deeply shaken by the president's performance at last week's debate.

Biden himself attempted to spin the performance during a fundraiser in New Jersey on Saturday, arguing that more undecided voters were swayed to his side during the debate than Trump's.

President Biden talks on the phone as he walks to board Air Force One at McGuire Air Force Base, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in New Jersey. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The president reportedly acknowledged that his performance at the debate left much to be desired, but he argued that polling was on his side.

A top campaign official held a phone call with Biden's top donors on Sunday and said that if Biden were to drop out of the race, all his funds would go to Vice President Kamala Harris. Some donors went asked for refunds, according to NBC News.