Aides close to President Joe Biden told CNN they are worried about a potential loss to former president Donald Trump.
"Operatives" on the Biden campaign told CNN they're "terrified by what would happen" if Biden lost, which they "worry is a very real possibility."
The sources point to polls that show voters feel indifferent or negatively about Biden, suggesting a lack of excitement among voters that could be costly in a rematch with Trump. One aide said they "don’t need people sprinting to their polling places—as long as they make it."
Aides also said that the closeness between Biden and Trump in polls is leaving them stressed, CNN reported:
Several Biden aides themselves tell CNN that looking at Trump’s wide lead in every primary poll – and no clear leader in a hypothetical Biden-Trump rematch – leaves them with a particular kind of existential stress.
The admission from aides in the Biden world is the latest sign of stress for those on the left about Biden's viability.
The report comes after the White House moved to pressure news organizations to increase criticism of the House impeachment inquiry surrounding the president's involvement in his family's business dealings.