Washington — President Biden participated in a conference call with the National Association of Democratic Mayors on Tuesday night to solidify his support for reelection. Concerns about whether he can handle the job Another four years as an 80-something.
The Biden campaign said in a statement late Tuesday that the president participated in a conference call with about 200 mayors and “laid out his vision for a second term.”
His campaign said he spoke about policy priorities and then took questions, but did not say whether he was referring to the dispute over his upcoming reelection bid. A crushing defeat in the debate Protests against former President Donald Trump last month have rekindled concerns about his health and age.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson had said they would be among local leaders to meet virtually with Biden.
Biden has spoken in recent days with a number of elected officials as they consider whether to continue supporting his candidacy, and Democrats are divided on whether there is a way forward for Biden’s campaign.
Several House Democrats They called on him to withdraw from the election.But some have been vocal in their support: While no Senate Democrats have publicly called for Trump to resign, some have urged him to do more to show he can meet the demands of a campaign and the presidency.
Adams criticized those calling on Biden to withdraw from the campaign trail, saying he “cannot dictate to a candidate and his team.”
“I just tell them, ‘I’m here to help. Give me orders,'” he told reporters on Tuesday. “I’m just a soldier. Whatever you ask me to do, I’m going to do it.”
Adams said it would be up to Biden whether he remained in the 2024 presidential race.
“The president will decide what to do,” he said. “He’s the president of the United States. I respect that. He’ll decide what to do.”
Johnson said he looked forward to speaking with the president but was lukewarm on his endorsement as a presidential candidate.
“Joe Biden is president and the Democratic nominee. We all need to do everything in our power to defeat Donald Trump in November,” he wrote.
—Aaron Navarro contributed reporting.
