CHICAGO– Governor JB Pritzker traveled to the White House on Wednesday to meet with President Joe Biden and his fellow Democratic governors amid growing concern within the party about whether the president can run for a second term.

Pritzker – whose name had been floated by the pundit class as a possible 2024 White House candidate before the president announced his re-election campaign – has repeatedly pledged his loyalty to Biden. The only public criticism Pritzker has leveled at Biden has been over his call for more aid for migrants arriving in Illinois.

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But in a CNN interview Tuesday night, the governor expressed mild concern about Biden's campaign, but nonetheless stated unequivocally that he would continue to support the president's candidacy “unless he decides otherwise.”

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Wednesday's meeting comes immediately after Biden's appearance during the first of two scheduled debates with former President Donald Trump last week, which raised questions about the president's mental state.

On CNN, Pritzker did not directly criticize Biden's performance during the debate, but rather what he has done – or not done – since then.

“We haven't heard much from him since the debate, and that's why the polls look the way they do,” Pritzker said. “I think when you come out of a bad debate, you have to remind people why you're the right person to vote for.”

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However, he immediately expressed hope that Biden would engage the public more “in the coming weeks.”

“At least that's what I expect from him, otherwise he'll make a different decision,” the governor said of Biden's candidacy. “And I think that's once again a healthy conversation that we should all have,”

Wednesday's meeting follows a phone call arranged earlier this week by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association. Pritzker made clear that none of the governors on that call said they wanted Biden to resign. Instead, he said, they wanted assurances about the president's campaign strategy.

“I think this debate has raised questions and hopefully this is just an isolated incident that the president can correct by letting everyone know again what great things he has done for working families across America,” Pritzker said.

The governor repeatedly expressed confidence that Biden and his surrogates would effectively argue just before Nov. 5 that the president represents a clear “contrast” to former President Donald Trump, whom he called a “despotic narcissist.”

“He is a convicted felon and rapist, and he is a born liar,” Pritzker said, repeating a rehearsed description he has used in local and national appearances since Trump was convicted by a New York jury on May 30 in a case involving his hush money payments to a porn star.

The governor avoided directly answering a question about a new CNN poll that shows most voters believe the Democratic Party has a better chance of defeating Trump with someone other than Biden.

“Well, the Democratic Party has a great electorate, and I think you and I both know there are some extremely capable people whose names have been mentioned as potential for the future,” he said. “But right now, our focus is on the 2024 race and the fact that Joe Biden will be the nominee unless otherwise stated.”

In a separate CNN broadcast on Tuesday, Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley of Chicago expressed concern about both Biden's appeal to voters and the potential strain on other Democrats vying for control of the Senate and regaining control of the House of Representatives.

“We have to be honest with ourselves that it wasn't just a terrible night,” Quigley said. “It's his decision. I just want him to realize at this point how much this impacts not only his race but all the other races in November.”