Biden has faced pressure to drop out of the race, but he has overcome adversity before.

WASHINGTON (AP) — To borrow a favorite phrase from the man himself, President Joe Biden We are at an inflection point.

Is his fractious campaign for reelection about public service or his own ego? About protecting a legacy or shaping the future? Since his nasty debates with Donald Trump, these opposing forces in American politics have been clashing with each other.

Biden now Consider whether to bow your head There is growing pressure for him to step down. His decision is based not just on this moment, but on his long history of public service and the extraordinary personal suffering he has endured since the beginning of his political career.

The next few days will be crucial as a growing crisis of confidence within the party over whether Biden can beat Trump threatens to shake up his legendary self-confidence.

Now he is holding out, insisting that he and his campaign will continue the campaign.

In the three weeks since the debate, Biden has relied on inertia and fear of the unknown (and there are many unknowns) to quell panic within his party, but Democrats are increasingly trying to push him away because of what they believe they know: Biden is currently lagging behind Trump, and it threatens to drag the entire Democratic Party down with him.

First with private signals, and now with coordinated leaks. Some of the most influential Democrats in the country Those in Congress who have doubts about Biden’s viability, including Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, have said so publicly. Some have even told Biden directly. All of them have said so publicly. His pre-debate polling was poor, but it’s gotten worse.

Suddenly, the walls seem to close in on you.

Inflection Point

Biden’s already shrinking circle of influence has become even smaller in recent days, with only a few longtime aides to turn to in deciding what to do.

His supporters have complained that Democratic criticism of the president is hurting his support. Ability to beat TrumpCampaign officials say the growing calls for Biden to step down have made him even more determined to continue on in the campaign.

But Biden has time to reconsider — a brief period that appears to be being exploited by party leaders plotting to remove him from office.

Biden has maintained an active schedule since then. The June 27 debate disasterHe tried to convince voters that he was still in good health, that he could serve another four years, and that the debate was just a “bad night.”

after a while A well-received speech He contracted COVID-19 in the middle of a day of mediocre television interviews and marathon news conferences in which he demonstrated a nuanced understanding of policy but also featured some stunning gaffes.

Meanwhile in Milwaukee, Vibrant and united Republicans Those who celebrated Trump’s nomination at the convention were adored by his defiant response seconds after a gunman turned his gun on his home. A rally was held in Pennsylvania over the assassination attempt on him.

Biden has retreated to Delaware to quarantine and recuperate, accompanied by Jill Biden, one of his biggest supporters and closest advisers.

Race Track

Some Democrats are pinning their hopes on Biden. Outside election campaigns He’ll take a moment to reassess the race and think about how he wants to be remembered in history over the next few days.

It’s a shock to the Biden campaign, whose aides thought the president had twice quelled concerns about his age and competency that flared after the debate.

First, he called out of the blue, MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” A total challenge: “If you don’t think I should run, run against me. Run for president and challenge me at the convention!”

Then last week, he showed off his skills for about an hour. NATO Summit Closing Press Conference — spoke confidently under pressure and in an unscripted situation, but then made a gaffe by calling the Ukrainian president “Putin” and quickly correcting himself before naming Trump, rather than Kamala Harris, as vice president.

Let the country rest for the weekend, The impact of the attempted assassination of President TrumpCalls for Biden to drop out of the race have resurfaced, with Morning Joe’s Joe Scarborough joining the call.

The isolation didn’t seem to change his mind. On Friday, he bluntly called for a return of unity and sought to shift the focus back to Trump’s policies. He said he looked forward to returning to the campaign trail next week to challenge Republicans’ claims “while asserting my own record and the vision I have for America – a vision that defends our democracy, protects our rights and freedoms and creates opportunity for all.”

“The stakes are high and the choice is clear,” he said. “Together, we will prevail.”

The president’s supporters are divided. Some believe they can again calm fears, while others worry that they may be real this time. But Biden’s life and record speaks volumes about his opposition to resigning. For him, giving up was never the right answer.

He is a man who has overcome many personal challenges. And he bounced back from the brink, dating back to when his first wife and infant daughter were killed in a car accident and his two young sons were severely injured shortly after he was first elected to the Senate.

He suffered and survived two brain aneurysms. He survived the death of his son Beau.He often said he should have been president one day. He has dealt with his other son’s drug addiction. He has been convicted of intoxication and, more recently, firearms-related charges.

Biden has been politically marginalized many times.But he overturned conventional wisdom: After losing the first two presidential primaries in 2020, he bounced back to win the election, and experts predicted a Republican sweep in the 2022 midterm elections, but that didn’t happen.

Can he balance the concerns?

So what does Biden have to say about the practical concerns of protecting a beloved institution in a dangerous election? He said the foundations of the nation are at stake.Will he press forward despite the headwinds of doubt with a stubborn character forged by decades of experience?

There are just weeks left until Democrats’ self-imposed deadline to nominate Biden for the 2024 presidential election.

This is an effort to restore order and quell any signs of insurrection. Biden must shut out all the polls, all the concerns, all the noise, and decide whether to stake his legacy as a public servant on Trump, a gamble that, as he puts it, would endanger democracy itself if he lost.

Senior Democrats at the highest levels of the party’s organization, including the Senate Majority Leader and other members of the congressional leadership Chuck Schumer House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffriessending out signals of concern.

With a mountain of data suggesting Biden’s position could deal a serious blow to congressional Democrats’ standing, frank conversations in public and private, and the president’s own few days off, many Democrats now see an opportunity to prompt a reassessment.

Former President Barack Obama has privately expressed concern, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has also privately warned Biden that Democrats could lose control of the House if he doesn’t step down.

Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), who earlier called on Biden to drop out of the race, said Thursday he has spoken frequently with Pelosi about the matter. Asked about reports that Pelosi was trying behind the scenes to persuade Biden to step down, Smith said no Democrat knows the dynamics of the party better than he does.

“We looked up to Nancy until she retired,” he said. “She was still very capable, but she passed the baton to the next generation.”

“So I think a good way to get an idea of ​​where we are as a party is to listen to her,” Smith added. Biden is 81 years oldPelosi, 84 years old.

Nearly two-thirds of Democrats said Biden should drop out of the presidential race and the party should nominate another candidate. AP-NORC Public Policy Research Center.

Biden has dismissed polls as imperfect indicators.

And he’s the only person who really beat Trump.With 108 days to go until the election, something could still happen in a year that has already seen some shocking developments that could somehow sway the outcome.

Also, other candidates, e.g. As Vice President Kamala Harris, Biden would fare better, and infighting is brewing within the party over who should replace him if he were to leave office.

Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, one of Biden’s closest confidants in Congress and a co-chair of his campaign, was asked Thursday whether Biden would continue on in the campaign.

“There’s nothing to say,” he said, shaking his head. “I don’t know.”

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Associated Press writers Zeke Miller and Calvin Woodward in Washington, Darlene Superville in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and Ellen Knickmeyer in Aspen, Colorado, contributed to this report.