US President Joe Biden told congressional Democrats in a letter on Monday that he will continue his re-election bid despite growing concerns about his mental fitness and the viability of his campaign.
“I want you to know that despite all the speculation in the press and elsewhere, I am firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race to the end, and to defeating Donald Trump,” Biden said in the letter, obtained by CNN.
In the meantime, the president will continue to contact Democratic lawmakers, a campaign official told CNN, during a critical week for his bid as the party’s 2024 nominee, while all House Democrats will meet Tuesday to discuss growing questions about the path forward.
The recess in Congress ends on Tuesday, in the first meeting since the June 27th debate in CNNwhich raised widespread concern about Biden’s ability to secure a victory for Democrats in November and serve four more years in office.
In the week following his disastrous debate performance, Biden personally contacted about 20 House Democrats, a campaign official told CNNand spoke with party leaders — including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Representatives Nancy Pelosi and James Clyburn — with the aim of reassuring them that the concerns within of the party are being heard.
Since then, Schumer and Clyburn have expressed support for Biden, while Jeffries has remained silent.
Pelosi said the questions surrounding Biden’s disastrous performance in the presidential debate were “legitimate.”
Asked about Pelosi’s comments, Biden told ABC News: “It was a bad episode. No indication of any serious condition. I was exhausted.”
In a conference call with top House Democrats called Sunday by Jeffries, a half-dozen lawmakers expressed their own concerns during a conversation that an aide described to CNN as “quite brutal”.
These legislators – who CNN reported to include Reps. Jerry Nadler, Adam Smith, Mark Takano and Joe Morelle – represent the highest-ranking Democrats on the House Judiciary, Armed Forces, Veterans Affairs and House Administration committees.
A campaign official declined to say whether the president had spoken directly with Sen. Mark Warner, the Virginia Democrat who has organized a simultaneous effort among like-minded senators to explore the possibility of an official request for Biden to step aside. Warner canceled a follow-up meeting scheduled for Monday night, a source said. to CNN, after news leaked about the group’s efforts. The next meeting will be Tuesday with Senate Democrats and their leadership.
Biden told ABC News that Warner was a “good man” but had a “different perspective.”
Share:
