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(ABC – Australia) Pressure is mounting on Joe Biden to withdraw from the US presidential race, with some of his colleagues coming out against his candidacy.
Biden’s performance in the presidential debate was widely criticized, and four Democratic members expressed concerns about his future as party leader during a leadership call.
What’s next?
The 81-year-old is doubling down on campaigning in swing states like Pennsylvania, Nevada and Michigan, which are crucial in the growing race against Republican Donald Trump.
Embattled U.S. President Joe Biden is facing growing pressure to withdraw from the presidential race, with about a dozen fellow Democrats calling on him to step down.
During a leadership call with several Democratic lawmakers on Sunday, four other Biden colleagues expressed concerns about his candidacy, urging him to replace him with another candidate, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.
According to US media reports NBC News and Washington postRepresentatives Jerrold Nadler, Adam Smith, Mark Takano and Joseph Morelle are among those calling on Biden to abandon his reelection bid.
Senior House Democrats serve on the Judiciary, Armed Services, Veterans Affairs and House Administration committees.
They also said Vice President Kamala Harris, seen as the most likely candidate to succeed Biden in the Nov. 5 election if he drops out, could do well.
Reps. Rich Neal, Rosa DeLauro, Maxine Waters and Robert C. “Bobby” Scott defended the president during the two-hour discussion, The Washington Post reported.
Calls for Biden to end his reelection bid have grown following his poor performance against Republican Donald Trump in the June 27 presidential debate.
The president’s occasionally incoherent performance reignited criticism of his age and raised questions about whether he can last another four years in office.
But he vowed to continue his campaign and dismissed calls for him to drop out as “nonsense” in a fundraising email on Saturday.
Asked in Harrisburg if Democrats supported him, Biden told reporters “yes.”
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said on CNN’s State of the Union that the coming week will be critical for the president to convince voters that he is the “old Joe Biden.”
“The president needs to do more,” Murphy said. “I do think the clock is ticking.”
Ahead of Sunday’s leadership call, five politicians publicly called for Biden to step down, including Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig, the first Democrat from a battleground district elected to the House, and others were said to be preparing to join the call.
House Democratic sources say two letters are circulating among House Democrats calling for Biden to step down.
Biden unites voters in swing states
Meanwhile, Biden traveled to the battleground state of Pennsylvania on Sunday to campaign in an effort to drum up support.
The 81-year-old received a warm welcome at a black church in Philadelphia before traveling to the state capital of Harrisburg for an event with union members.
Black voters are a key part of his support base, but recent polls show their support is waning.
The church’s bishop referred to Biden’s Republican challenger but did not name him, rebuking those who “make a story about the president – that he has a habit of stuttering and sometimes can’t speak – while another person is able to spout lies and you never refute his lies.”
Biden said in an interview with ABC News on Friday that only “God Almighty” could convince him to withdraw, and rejected the possibility that Democratic leaders might join forces to persuade him to withdraw.
Alan Clendenin, a member of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in Florida, also joined the chorus of people calling for Biden to step down on Sunday.
“Joe Biden will be remembered by historians as one of the best presidents in American history, but this election is about the next four years, not the last three and a half years,” Clendenin said.
The Democratic National Committee has remained steadfast in its support for Biden since his debate setback, so any defections could mean a deepening crisis.
Pennsylvania is one of six states, along with Wisconsin and Michigan, that can swing the election for Democrats or Republicans and is expected to play a central role in determining the outcome of this tight race.
Sunday’s trip was Mr. Biden’s 10th visit to Pennsylvania during his 2024 campaign and is part of the Democratic Party’s July voter outreach, which also includes a $50 million media campaign targeting events such as the Olympics and travel by the president, the first lady, Ms. Harris and her husband to several battleground states.
The White House said Sunday that Biden will visit the swing state of Nevada on July 16-17 and address Black and Latino audiences at the NAACP national convention and the UnidosUS annual conference.
He will also travel to Austin, Texas, on July 15 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act at the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library.
Congress is expected to increase pressure in the coming days as politicians return to Washington from vacation and donors consider whether they want to continue funding Trump’s campaign.
Biden is also preparing to host dozens of world leaders at a NATO summit in Washington this week and hold a rare solo press conference.
Reuters
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