Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear explained Tuesday that Democratic state governors requested a meeting with President Biden because they “want to make sure he’s doing OK.”

Beshear, whose name has been floated as a possible replacement for the 81-year-old commander in chief on the Democratic presidential ticket, said during a CNN interview that Biden should be more open “about his health” in light of last week’s disastrous debate performance which the governor believes “hurt the campaign.” 

“I think we’ve all got to be upfront and honest that what we saw in the debate – it was rough,” Beshear said during his appearance on “The Situation Room.”  

“It [was] a rough night, and regardless of polls that you see, it’s going to hurt the campaign,”  he added. 

Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz organized a Monday night call of his fellow Democratic state leaders – none of whom had heard directly from Biden – to discuss the concerns about the president’s debate against former President Donald Trump.  

The White House has arranged a meeting between the president and Democratic governors slated for Wednesday. 

“I think the governors just want a direct and candid conversation with the president,” Beshear said of the upcoming meeting. “We want to make sure he’s doing okay.” 

“We all know him. He has formed a personal relationship with us, and he says he is [OK], and we take him at his word, but it’s always good to see somebody in person.” 

What to know about the calls for President Biden to drop out of the 2024 race:

• President Biden’s poor performance in the first 2024 presidential debate left some Democrats unsure of his fitness for office and future as the party’s candidate.
• More than a dozen congressional Democrats have joined in calling for Biden’s exit from the race. Former Biden supporter George Clooney echoed these calls in an op-ed published in the New York Times just weeks after he helped lead a record-breaking fundraiser for the Democrat.
• Democratic voters have continued to raise concerns about Biden’s nomination since the debate, with speculations and suggestions for replacement nominees running rampant.
• Biden’s former running mate Barack Obama has reportedly been trying to pressure him to drop out, and had prior knowledge of Clooney’s op-ed. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi allegedly told Biden he could not beat former President Donald Trump this time around.
• As the Democratic National Convention approaches, California delegates for the Democratic Party are reportedly in disarray as debate over the president’s chances of re-election threatens to tear the party apart.
• However, the Biden campaign has denied any plans for Biden to bow out and for Kamala Harris to step in as the Democratic nominee. Sources close to the president believe he might not be willing to drop out, while other sources claim he is “receptive” to giving up on a second term.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) became the first congressional Democrat to call on Biden to drop out of the race Tuesday after a debate performance in which the octogenarian president repeatedly froze up on stage and lost his train of thought. 

Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), also on Tuesday, expressed that he had no confidence in Biden’s ability to beat Trump in November.

Beshear, 46, stopped short of calling on Biden to end his re-election effort. 

“Joe Biden is our nominee, and ultimately that decision on continuing or not will fall to him and his family,” he said.

The governor, however, urged Biden to open up about his health.  

“I don’t think that there’s anything wrong with asking the president to talk to the American people a little bit more about his health or that debate performance,” Beshear said.

“It’s like seeing somebody that you haven’t seen in a while and they seem a little off, and you asking how they’re doing, and then listening to their answer, is both showing concern for them but also just trying to make sure that things are OK,” he argued.

“If people have those questions,” Beshear said, referring to the president’s health, “it’d be great for him to answer them directly.”