In response to last week’s disastrous debate performance, President Joe Biden dismissed calls to step down from the presidential campaign, saying as much to both prime-time television and his support base.
Ahead of the Democratic Party convention in Chicago in August, Joe Biden admitted during a Madison rally that there had been conjecture about whether he might withdraw from the race in favor of another contender. Cheers sprang out from the liberal enclave audience as Biden announced, “I am running and going to win again.”
As it happens, they are attempting to disqualify me from the competition. Biden read from a teleprompter and stated, “Well, let me say this as simply as I can: I’m staying in the campaign.
Rebuilding support at an important point, the 81-year-old president hopes to stem the flow of skepticism regarding his campaign and potential to unseat the presumed Republican nominee. With a recent Wall Street Journal survey showing Trump taking a larger lead and growing discontent among prominent donors and rank-and-file Democratic lawmakers, Biden’s friends saw the next few days as crucial to the president’s chances of winning re-election.
In a highly anticipated interview with ABC News’s George Stephanopoulos, Joe Biden resisted the notion that his advanced age and dismal polling would persuade him to take a backseat.
“I believe that I am the most qualified candidate to be president and to win this election,” stated Biden. “I would withdraw from the race if the Almighty Lord said to me, Joe, to get out of it. The Almighty Lord is not going to descend.
Joe Biden’s pushback coincides with his efforts to fortify his position and persuade friends, including Democratic legislative leaders, that he can win and serve for a further four years. In private, Democratic members of Congress have expressed serious doubts about Biden staying on the ticket. Some persisted in looking for other options.
Representative Mike Quigley urged Joe Biden to step down, saying, “Let someone else do this.”
According to those familiar with the arrangements, a handful of prominent House Democrats, including committee chairs, intend to have a virtual meeting on Sunday to discuss their worries about Biden.
According to someone with knowledge of the situation, Virginia Senator Mark Warner has started corresponding with other Democratic senators in the Senate on Joe Biden’s future. When questioned about Warner’s endeavor by reporters, Biden stated that he believed the Virginian to be “the only one considering that” in the Senate.
Joe Biden dismisses age questions in a recent interview
During the ABC interview, Biden clarified the idea that polls show him falling behind Trump or that a sizable portion of Democrats think he should drop out of the race. He also dismissed worries that his advanced age and health could make it difficult for him to run for office again.
According to Joe Biden, he didn’t think he needed a separate neurological or cognitive assessment. He stated, “Not only am I running the world, I’m running a cognitive test every single day.”
The president maintained that he had not lost ground in the polls after the debate and that they indicated the race was close. The average national polls show Trump maintaining a slim advantage. The Journal’s most recent poll, which dates back to late 2021, shows Trump leading Biden by six points, the largest margin to date.
As opposed to last week’s debate, Biden made no obvious errors during the interview, albeit at times he spoke slowly and didn’t finish his sentences.
Nevertheless, the effects of aging were evident. At his Madison speech, he cautiously greeted voters and gave hugs to some of his fans. Even while his tone was powerful, there were sporadic errors that have garnered more notice. He once declared to his followers, “I beat Donald Trump, and I will beat him again in 2020.” He then went on, “And we’re going to do it again in 2024.”
A young man standing in the background of the president’s camera shot held a sign that said, “Pass the Torch, Joe,” as the president entered the stage for the occasion.
He received great reviews from other guests. According to Jill Enerson, 56, a teacher and small company owner, “I thought he looked alive, awake, and enthusiastic”—better than he appears on television.
Joe Biden frequently cracked jokes and alluded to his senior age in his remarks. My age has been a topic of much controversy. I acknowledge that I appear forty,” he grinned broadly.
Then he said that his advanced age would not prevent him from achieving significant policy victories in the upcoming term, citing victories for the Democratic Party on student loans, climate change, and the appointment of the first Black woman to the Supreme Court. Subsequently, he exalted the most recent monthly jobs report. Speaking of the 200,000 jobs we announced yesterday, the statement made reference to a report that was made public earlier on Friday.
The Biden campaign announced on Friday that it would be launching a $50 million summertime advertising campaign. In an effort to reclaim territory lost to Trump, Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and their wives want to visit every battleground state, according to the campaign.
Leading Democratic politicians and funders have pushed Joe Biden to address people directly and resist calls to resign as the party’s nominee before the convention next month. However, they are also talking about potential substitutes if Biden steps down.
Governor Maura Healey of Massachusetts became the first Democratic governor to recommend that Biden consider his options for the future on Friday. The “best way forward right now is a decision for the president to make,” she said, praising Biden’s term in office.
The president and other Democratic governors, including Healey, had a meeting on Wednesday. According to a person with knowledge of the discussion, Biden mentioned the need for more sleep and advised staying away from gatherings that start after 8 p.m. as they usually run late.
The president “works around the clock,” according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, in response to a question on Friday. “Obviously, he also understands the significance of finding a balance and taking care of himself, just like we all have to,” the woman remarked.
Joe Biden is scheduled to make two more public appearances this weekend, first hosting foreign leaders in Washington for the annual summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The summit will include a news conference by the president alone.
Approximately twenty members of Congress, Biden told reporters on Friday, had expressed their desire for him to carry on with his campaign. As scheduled, Biden pledged to hold another debate with Trump and brushed off the notion of altering his campaign staff, stating that “any mistake made is my fault.”
When a reporter asked Biden if he was still the greatest contender to unseat Trump, he angrily retorted, “You’ve been wrong about everything so far.” Regarding 2020, you were mistaken. Regarding 2022, you were mistaken.
According to a Journal survey conducted on Wednesday, 80% of Americans believe the president is too elderly to seek reelection. Voters’ opinion that Biden is too old to run for president rose by seven percentage points from the Journal’s February poll. Days following last week’s discussion, The Journal ran a fresh survey.
Joe Biden sought to assuage Democratic concerns in Wisconsin and try to turn the contest from a test of his mettle to a contest between him and Trump. State Republicans, however, drew attention to Democrats’ distance from their presumed nominee, citing the absence of Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D., Wis.), who was supposed to campaign alongside Biden but chose to hold events elsewhere in the state.
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Source
The Wall Street Journal
