ARE MAKING THEIR CLAIMS. >> ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> FOR MORE ON THE FALLOUT AFTER THE PRESIDENT'S DEBATE PERFORMANCE, LET'S BRING IN CBS NEWS CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT IN THIS CASE NIKOLE KILLION. WE KNOW THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS BEEN REACHING OUT TO SOME CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS, INCLUDING PEOPLE WHO HAVE SEEN HOW HE OPERATES BEHIND THE SCENES WHEN HE'S NOT ON THE DEBATE STAGE. WHO'S HE BEEN CALLING AND WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE CONVERSATIONS? >> Reporter: WE KNOW THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN DID SPEAK WITH MINORITY LEADER HAKEEM JEFFRIES YESTERDAY AS WELL AS DELAWARE SENATOR CHRIS KUNZE, BUT THE CONVERSATIONS ARE NOTABLE BECAUSE WE CONTINUE TO HEAR CLAMORING, MORE SO AMONG RANK AND FILE HOUSE DEMOCRATS, EXPRESSING CONCERN ABOUT THE PRESIDENT'S VIABILITY IN THIS RACE. OF COURSE JUST YET, YOU SAW CONGRESSMAN LLOYD DOGGETT BECOME THE FIRST SITTING DEMOCRAT TO CALL ON THE PRESIDENT TO WITHDRAW. SOME OF THIS IS AIMED AT JUST TRYING TO QUELL THOSE CONCERNS. AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF MEMBERS TELL US THAT THEY JUST HAVEN'T SEEN THAT TYPE OF OUTREACH YET FROM THE PRESIDENT, FROM THE WHITE HOUSE, FROM THE CAMPAIGN, EVEN AS THE WHITE HOUSE AND CAMPAIGN SAYS THEY ARE TRYING TO REACH OUT TO LAWMAKERS AND ADDRESS WHATEVER CONCERNS THEY MAY HAVE. >> AND YOU TALKED ABOUT THIS LETTER THAT'S CIRCULATING. THERE ARE SOME HOUSE DEMOCRATS THAT ARE VULNERABLE, FACING TOUGH REELECTION RACES. THERE WERE SOME DONORS BOUNCING AROUND DIFFERENT NAMES THAT COULD POSSIBLY REPLACE PRESIDENT BIDEN. WHAT ARE WE TO MAKE OF THE STATE OF THE PARTY RIGHT NOW? WHAT DOES THIS SAY? >> WELL, TO BE FRANK WITH YOU, I'M HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF PTSD THINKING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO KEVIN McCARTHY LAST FALL. NOW WE ARE WATCHING DEMOCRATS POTENTIALLY CONTEMPLATING THE IDEA OF THROWING OUT THEIR PARTY LEADER, THEIR STANDARD BEARER. I THINK IT GOES TO SHOW, IN POLITICS ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. GRANTED, WE ARE NOT THERE JUST YET. I DON'T THINK SOME OF THE FRUSTRATION WE HAVE HEARD AMONG SOME LAWMAKERS CAN BE UNDERSTATED HERE. WE DO KNOW THERE IS A GROUP OF HOUSE DEMOCRATS, MAINLY THE VULNERABLE DEMOCRATS, FRONT- LINERS THAT ARE CIRCULATING A LETTER CALLING ON THE PRESIDENT TO TRANSITION. THAT LETTER HAS NOT OFFICIALLY GONE OUT BUT IT'S OF CONCERN TO THE BIDEN CAMPAIGN, THAT THEY'RE HOPING TO BLUNT THE MOMENTUM OF THAT. THAT ASIDE, I'VE HEARD THAT DOGGETT MAY NOT BE THE ONLY ONE TO POTENTIALLY COME FORWARD AND CALL ON THE PRESIDENT TO WITHDRAW. WE HAVE SEEN FORMER MEMBERS DO THAT. REALLY THAT'S WHY I THINK YOU'RE SEEING THIS EXTENDED OUTREACH ON THE PART OF THE PRESIDENT CERTAINLY AND ON THE PART OF HIS AIDES, HIS STAFF, TO TRY AND TAMP THIS DOWN IF THEY CAN. >> IN REGARDS TO THE DONORS, YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T RUN A CAMPAIGN WITHOUT AN AWFUL LOT OF MONEY. WHAT ARE WE LEARNING ABOUT WHAT SOME OF THE DONORS ARE SAYING AND WHAT'S BEHIND THE STRATEGY? >> Reporter: IN TERMS OF DONORS, WE KNOW FROM OUR REPORTING THAT THEY TWO ARE EXPRESSING FRUSTRATION WITH THE WAY THE PRESIDENT HANDLED THE DEBATE PERFORMANCE, BUT EVEN THE RESPONSE THEREAFTER. SO THEY TOO ARE HAVING INTERNAL TEXTS AND CALLS AND CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHETHER THE PRESIDENT SHOULD REMAIN AS THE NOMINEE. THERE'S BEEN CHATTER ABOUT WHETHER IT SHOULD BE VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS, IF SHE SHOULD REPLACE THE PRESIDENT OR WHETHER THAT'S DRAWING UP SOME KIND OF A SHORT LIST OR GOING TO THE OPEN CONVENTION. TIME IS STILL A FACTOR HERE, SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND. AS WE KNOW, DEMOCRATS WILL BE MEETING FOR THEIR CONVENTION LATER THIS SUMMER AND HAVE TO NOMINATE THE CANDIDATE BEFORE THE CONVENTION TAKES PLACE. SO WE ARE WATCHING THAT TIMETABLE. THAT BEING SAID, THERE ARE REPORTS THAT SOME DONORS ARE EXPRESSING INTEREST IN PUTTING MORE MONEY INTO THESE HOUSE AND SENATE RACES. OTHERS SAY THEY SHOULD HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INVESTING IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE RACES, AND ARGUE A LOT OF THESE CANDIDATES ARE POLLING AHEAD OF THE PRESIDENT. I THINK THE CONCERN IS WHETHER OR NOT THAT EDGE WILL BE MAINTAINED, SO THERE'S A LOT OF TREPIDATIO
