US President Joe Biden is back on the campaign trail on Sunday, desperate to save his re-election bid, as senior Democrats meet to discuss growing calls for him to step down from the White House race.
The 81-year-old Democrat kicked off a tough week with two campaign events in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, before hosting a summit of NATO leaders in Washington.
He will do so amid increasingly fierce criticism, as pressure mounts on him to exit after his disastrous debate against Donald Trump last month sparked uproar over his age and ability to serve another four years.
Biden stuck to his word and declared clearly — at a rally, to reporters and on social media — that he was fit to serve, the only person who could beat Trump, and that he would stay in the race.
“I beat Trump in 2020. I will beat him again in 2024,” his campaign posted on social media accounts Saturday.
But a televised interview with ABC News on Friday did little to assuage concerns. His next big test in the public eye after Sunday’s action will be a press conference on Thursday during the NATO summit.
So far, five Democratic lawmakers have called on Biden to withdraw from the vote, and the voices of dissent are slowly growing.
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, a close ally of Biden, insisted he was confident Biden could still recover and win. But he said “the president needs to do more,” including unexpected events like town hall gatherings, to reassure voters he has the mental acuity and physical fitness for a second term.
“I think this week is going to be absolutely crucial,” Murphy said on CNN’s Sunday talk show “State of the Union.” He said he believes there are many voters who need to be reassured about Biden’s abilities.
“If he can’t do that, then obviously he has to make a decision about what’s best for the country.”
The comments come as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has scheduled a virtual meeting of senior Democratic representatives on Sunday to discuss the best way forward, and Democratic Senator Mark Warner is reportedly working to organise a similar forum in the upper house.
First Lady Jill Biden, who – according to some US media reports – is urging her husband to stay in the race, is due to campaign for him in Georgia, Florida and North Carolina on Monday.
But after stops in Philadelphia and Harrisburg on Sunday, the president will have to break away from the trip for the NATO summit that begins on Tuesday.
Here too he will have to reassure his allies, at a time when many European countries fear a Trump victory in November.
The 78-year-old Republican has long criticized the transatlantic defense alliance as an unfair burden on the United States, praised Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, and insisted he could quickly end the fighting in Ukraine, where Moscow’s invasion is in its third year.
‘Lord Almighty’
For now, Democratic heavyweights are busy suppressing any dissent toward their leader — at least publicly.
But with just four months until the election, any move to replace Biden as the nominee must be made as soon as possible, and any signs of open revolt in the party will be scrutinized.
In the meantime, the strategy for Biden and his team appears to be to just get through it.
The campaign has unveiled an intensive battle plan for July, including a flood of TV ads and visits to all key states.
This includes a tour of the US southwest during the Republican convention on July 15-18, where Trump will be declared the party’s official presidential nominee.
In an interview with ABC News on Friday, Biden dismissed concerns about his fitness fueled by his falling polling numbers and his disappointing performance against Trump on June 27.
But some of his answers were erratic or evasive, even as he dodged questions about his mental acuity and rejected the notion that his party would consider replacing him.
He said, “If God Almighty came down and said, ‘Joe, get out of the race,’ I’d be out of the race.”
“But the Almighty Lord is not coming down.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
