WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden Letter to Democratic Congressmanhas steadfastly opposed calls for him to withdraw his candidacy and called for an end to the intraparty drama that has divided the Democratic Party since he took office. Dismal performance in public debate.
Biden’s efforts to shore up a deeply uneasy Democratic Party come as lawmakers return to Washington and face a choice: revive Biden’s campaign or push back against party leaders in a presidential election that could determine Biden’s reelection and their own. Political future.
“The question of how to proceed has been under discussion for well over a week now, and it is time to end it,” Biden wrote in the two-page letter. He stressed that the party has “one job” – to defeat presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in November.
“We have 42 days until the Democratic National Convention and 119 days until the general election,” Biden said in the letter distributed by his reelection campaign. “Any weakening of resolve or lack of clarity about the agenda ahead will only help Trump and hurt us. Now is the time to come together, move forward as a party, and defeat Donald Trump.”
Despite Biden’s defiance, anxiety is growing as leading Democrats have joined calls for him to step down. At the same time, some of Biden’s most ardent supporters are redoubling their fight to secure his presidency, arguing that no other candidate can beat Trump in what many see as one of the most important elections of their lifetimes.
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Following the letter, Biden spoke to MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” in a phone interview, arguing that “average Democrats” want him to continue in the race and saying he was frustrated by calls from party leaders to step aside.
“They’re celebrities, but I don’t care what they think,” Biden said.
Biden issued a challenge to his critics, saying if they were serious, they should “announce their candidacy for president and challenge me at the convention” or endorse him against Trump. Biden then participated in a conference call with members of the president’s finance committee, while first lady Jill Biden campaigned for her husband in three states focusing on engaging veterans and military families.
“There’s been a lot of talk about this race, but Joe has made it very clear that he is committed to it,” she told military members in Wilmington, N.C. “That’s his decision, and just as he’s always supported me in my career, I’m committed to it.”
Democratic voters are divided on whether Biden should remain the party’s presidential nominee or whether there should be a different Democratic candidate. According to a New York Times/Siena College poll:.
More voices chimed in on Monday, including Rep. Pramila Jayapal, chair of the House Progressive Caucus. Jayapal said she wasn’t abandoning Biden and that the threat of Trump’s reelection remained too high. But Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, one of the Democrats most at stake in the election, said in a statement that “President Biden must prove to me and the American people that he can serve another four years in office.”
But Biden’s letter infuriated some House Democrats who wanted to hear directly from Biden himself, according to a congressional aide who spoke on the matter on condition of anonymity. They were especially upset that he was seen as out of touch with his constituents, especially since congressional representatives are the ones who listen to their constituents in their own districts.
The White House did not say whether Biden would meet in person with lawmakers on Capitol Hill this week.
Meanwhile, spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said President Biden had three neurological exams as part of his annual physical while at the White House but has not undergone any more than that and has not been diagnosed or treated for Parkinson’s disease.
This is a volatile and deeply precarious moment for the president’s party. Democrats who worked with Biden for years, even decades, and treasured his life’s work on policy priorities are now having uncomfortable questions about his political future. And it’s playing out as Biden hosts world leaders. NATO Summit This week in Washington.
The drama is unfolding just over a month before the Democratic National Convention and a week before Republicans gather in Milwaukee. Re-nominate Trump Many Democrats are calling on Biden, not the former president, to resign after his felony conviction in a hush-money case and his pending lawsuit. Federal charges With his efforts Overturning the 2020 Election.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries plans to meet with lawmakers privately before announcing his intentions to “get on the same page,” according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified. Jeffries was scheduled to meet Monday with Democrats with the poorest re-election prospects.
On a closed-door conference call Sunday with about 15 ranking House committee members, at least four more Democrats – Reps. Jerrold Nadler of New York, Jim Himes of Connecticut, Adam Smith of Washington state and Mark Takano of California – said privately that Biden should resign, exposing the widening rift.
Mr. Nadler was one of the senior members of the call and spoke first, according to a person familiar with the call who asked not to be identified, and he knew that as a senior member, others could join in.
Many others on the call stopped short of saying Biden should withdraw from the election, but expressed concerns about his competency and chances of reelection.
Additionally, other lawmakers, including Rep. Maxine Waters of California and Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, leaders of the House Black Caucus, also spoke strongly in support of Biden, as did Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the powerful Ways and Means Committee.
Neal then said that ultimately, Biden beat Trump in 2020 and “will win again in November.”
Behind the scenes, there is an honorary chairman. Nancy Pelosihas been fielding calls from lawmakers seeking his advice on the situation, and his closeness to the president and his skill at counting votes in partisan politics make him widely seen as the person who could influence the final decision on Biden’s future.
Pelosi said last week that Biden’s debate performance raised “legitimate” questions that Biden should answer, but she has not changed her support for the president. And Biden called her last week when he reached out to other party leaders.
While Biden’s primetime interview on ABC on Friday did little to calm anxious Democrats and some said it made the situation worse, Pelosi publicly praised him on social media as “a great president who continues to put money on the table for America,” adding, “We’re not done yet!”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer did not answer questions about Biden’s reelection as he entered the Capitol on Monday, but told reporters, “As I’ve said before, I support Joe.”
The No. 2 Senate Democrat, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, was more cautious.
“I watched the debate and a lot of questions came up,” Durbin said. “He’s trying to answer those questions, and he’s doing it very effectively in some ways, and not so effectively in others.”
Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia had planned to convene senators privately on Monday to discuss Biden, but a person familiar with his thinking said the discussion would take place at a regular caucus lunch with all Democratic senators on Tuesday.
“It’s time to stop worrying and get back to going door-to-door,” said Sen. Alex Padilla of California, another Democrat.
While some deep-pocketed donors may be uncomfortable, strategists for the House and Senate races said they have raised more money than ever before in those races because donors see congressional Democrats as a “firewall” and their last line of defense against Trump.
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Associated Press writers Farnoosh Amiri, Kevin Freking, Darren Superville and Mary Claire Jalonick contributed to this report.
