U.S. President Joe Biden returns to the campaign trail today, Sunday, determined to persevere despite increasing pressure from Democratic politicians to withdraw his candidacy. This comes ahead of a challenging week as he hosts a NATO summit in Washington.
Through his “X” account, Biden insisted he would run for president again to defeat his fierce rival, Donald Trump. Biden tweeted on Sunday morning, “I beat Trump in 2020… and I’ll beat him again in 2024.”
Just hours earlier, on Saturday evening, Biden tweeted, “I won’t let a 90-minute debate erase three and a half years of work. I’m staying in the race and will defeat Donald Trump.”
The American president followed up with two more tweets, saying, “I’ve never been more optimistic about our country’s future,” and “I’m ready to fight for it.”
The 81-year-old Democrat, who has not completely dispelled doubts about his ability to govern for a second term following a television interview on Friday, is set to participate in two campaign rallies in Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, a key state in the race to the White House.
First Lady Jill Biden, who, according to American media, is urging her husband to stay in the race, is scheduled to campaign on Monday in Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina, according to a statement from her office.
However, pressure from Democratic lawmakers is increasing. Democratic Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, has called for an emergency (virtual) meeting of Democratic lawmakers on Sunday to discuss the best way forward, as Congress reconvenes in the coming days.
Democratic Senator Mark Warner is expected to organize a similar meeting in the Senate.
Four Democratic lawmakers had previously asked Biden to withdraw from the presidential race in November.
They were joined by a fifth, Representative Angie Craig, on Saturday, who said in a statement that “in the absence of a strong response from the president himself after this debate, (she) does not believe the president can run an effective campaign and win against Donald Trump.”
During a crucial television interview on Friday, Biden said no one is “more qualified than him” to defeat Trump in November and seemed to dismiss polls that clearly showed he is in a difficult position against his Republican rival.
In this interview with journalist George Stephanopoulos on ABC, Biden repeatedly avoided answering questions about whether his physical and mental condition had deteriorated during his term.
When asked why he had not undergone an independent medical examination, Biden replied that his job is like “undergoing a cognitive test every day.”
He said, “I undergo a cognitive test every day. I’m not just leading my campaign, I’m leading the world.”
