Joe Biden on Monday urged Democratic lawmakers to either support his re-election bid or challenge him at the party convention next month as the US president’s re-election campaign enters a crucial week.
The 81-year-old has doubled down on his defiance of calls for him to step down after a bruising debate with Republican rival Donald Trump last month fueled fears he is too old to serve a second term.
Extra eyes will be on Biden this week as he hosts a summit of NATO leaders in Washington, and many allies want reassurances from him as polls predict the isolationist Trump will win in November.
Biden said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” television program that he is “confident” that “the average voter still wants Joe Biden.”
A visibly angry Biden said in a telephone interview that he was “getting very frustrated with the party elites.”
He said, “Whoever among these people does not think that I should contest the election, should contest against me, declare themselves as the candidate for the post of President, challenge me in the convention.”
In a flurry of actions earlier in the week, Biden also wrote a lengthy letter to Democratic Party lawmakers, saying “I refuse to step down”.
“I remain firmly committed to staying in this race,” Biden wrote.
“The question of how to proceed has been under discussion for the past week. And now it’s time to put an end to it.”
NATO Summit
Biden will have to overcome concerns raised by the debate, during which he repeatedly strayed from his line of thinking, fumbled his syntax and spoke in a raspy voice.
He attributed this to jet lag and cold.
But according to US media, four senior Congressmen said in talks with party MPs on Sunday that it was time for Biden to step down.
Democrats returned to Capitol Hill this week after a brief recess under pressure to either stand with the president or urge him to step down.
Tuesday, when the NATO summit begins, could prove to be a turning point: party lawmakers are expected to hold their regular caucus meeting, which could stymie any effort to oust him.
All eyes will also be on Biden’s performance at the summit organized on the 75th anniversary of the NATO alliance. He has to attend several meetings and hold a press conference for the first time after the defeat in the debate.
Many European countries are fearful of Trump’s return, as the 78-year-old has long criticized the defense alliance, praised Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, and insisted he could quickly end the war in Ukraine.
busy schedule
After a flurry of campaign events in the state of Pennsylvania on Sunday, Biden has no public events scheduled for Monday, which he will spend preparing for the summit.
First Lady Jill Biden, a staunch supporter of the president, is set to campaign for him in Georgia, Florida and North Carolina.
On Friday, the president will once again hit the campaign trail, heading to battleground Michigan before heading to his seaside home in Rehoboth, Delaware.
With just four months until the election and the party convention in mid-August, time is running out on any move to replace Biden as the nominee.
Biden and his team appear determined to hold on to the siege, with the campaign unveiling an intense schedule for late July, including TV spots and visits to key states.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
