President Joe Biden is standing firm against calls from some Democrats to drop his re-election bid.
This morning, I sent a letter to my fellow Democrats on Capitol Hill. In it, I shared my thoughts about this moment in our campaign.
It’s time to come together, move forward as a unified party, and defeat Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/ABtAaJrr0n
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 8, 2024
In recent days, the 81-year-old president has defiantly resisted what he calls Democratic Party “elites” who doubt his fitness for office. “I am not going anywhere,” Biden told top campaign donors on Monday.
Rep. @AOC: President Biden has made clear that he is in this race. The matter is closed. Biden is our nominee. He is in this race and I support him. He is running against Donald Trump, who is a man with 34 felony convictions. Not a single Republican has asked for Donald Trump to… pic.twitter.com/MOvUu3VQU5
— Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) July 8, 2024
The president’s unwavering commitment to staying in the race follows a shaky debate performance against former President Donald Trump last month. Since then, at least six Democratic members of Congress have publicly urged Biden to step aside and let another candidate, possibly Vice President Kamala Harris, take his place. But Biden is leveraging his defiance to try to stem any further Democratic defections.
In an open letter to congressional Democrats on Monday, he affirmed his definitive candidacy.
Rep. @JakeAuch to Fox: 14 million Democratic primary voters know that President Biden can win. Unlike the Republican Party, Democrats respect free and fair elections. We know that Donald Trump is an existential threat to democracy. On the debate stage, Trump lied every 90… pic.twitter.com/nhhLU5T9H0
— Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) July 8, 2024
The president also called into MSNBC to mock the “elites in the party” who think they “know so much more.”
“If any of these guys don’t think I should run, run against me,” Biden said. “Go ahead.
Democratic lawmakers join calls for Biden to step aside https://t.co/Fn039TuwY0 via @ft
— Demetri (@Dimi) July 8, 2024
Announce for president — challenge me at the convention!”
The Biden campaign is working to reframe the pressure for him to quit as elite-driven rather than reflecting genuine voter concerns about his age and mental sharpness. The president received some key words of support Monday from Rep.
Biden faces internal party dissent
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. “He is in this race; the matter is closed,” the New York Democrat stated. However, influential lawmakers like Sen.
Patty Murray of Washington expressed unease. “We need to see a much more forceful and energetic candidate,” the Democratic leader remarked. The White House is also pushing back hard against suggestions that Biden might be suffering from an undisclosed illness.
Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre denied a New York Times report that an expert on Parkinson’s disease had visited Biden multiple times, insisting the doctor found no neurological issues during the president’s annual health checks. Despite the recent stumbles, Biden still has supporters who believe he gives Democrats the best chance to defeat Trump in November. Lindy Li, a major party fundraiser, acknowledged Biden’s “bad” debate showing but praised him for “resuscitating our standing as an international leader and a superpower.”
The president plans to showcase that global leadership at a NATO summit on Tuesday.
But the critical meetings with House and Senate Democrats this week could ultimately have a bigger impact on Biden’s political future. The question remains whether his defiant stand will be enough to quell the rising doubts within his own party.
