PHILADELPHIA (AP) – President Joe Biden is attending a black church and meeting with union members on Sunday in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, trying to project enough strength for his re-election campaign to quell a growing clamor from within his own party to withdraw from the race.
The two appearances came after Biden joined a conference call Saturday with campaign surrogates and reiterated that he has no plans to step aside, while also calling for unity among top Democrats. But he also heard concerns and comments, according to two people who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.
The president committed to campaigning more intensely in the future and taking to the road more frequently, taking his message to voters more directly. He is having the opportunity to attend a service at the Mount Airy Church of God in Christ in Northwest Philadelphia and then will head to the state capital of Harrisburg to speak at an organizing event with union members and local Democrats.
On Sunday night, Biden returns to Washington, where the leaders of NATO countries will meet for a three-day summit starting Tuesday to mark the 75th anniversary of the military alliance. The focus could shift more to Russia’s war in Ukraine than questions about Biden’s reelection campaign, but 81-year-old Biden’s political situation remains precarious.
Five Democratic legislators asked him to abandon his bid for re-election in front of November, and more people will be able to do so in the coming days as Congress reconvenes. The in-person meeting will give congressional Democrats the opportunity to discuss concerns about Biden’s ability to withstand the remaining four months of the campaign — not to mention four more years in the White House — and the true prospects of defeating the former Republican president. donald trump.
The president’s campaign announced a $50 million ad campaign throughout the month aimed at reaching high-profile moments, such as during the upcoming Paris Olympics. Still, Biden’s campaign team is quietly preparing for the chorus of those calling for him to drop out of the race to surge in the coming days — holding the call with surrogates and calling and texting lawmakers to try to prevent further potential desertions.
Biden got a boost over the weekend from other top Democrats who raised issues earlier but now have moved to support youled by Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi and Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina. Still, with the Democratic caucus Approachingthe short term is especially critical.
Since your disastrous debate performance Late last month, donors, strategists, lawmakers and his constituents urged Democrats to replace him at the top of the ticket before, they argue, it is too late. Biden Friday interview with ABC has not convinced some who remain skeptical that he can revive his campaign.
In an appearance on CNN on Sunday, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said Biden “needs to answer voters’ questions.” But he added: “If he does that this week I think he will be in a really good position and we can get back to what this campaign needs to be.”
Murphy also said he didn’t know whether a cognitive test would “have an impact” for voters worried about Biden’s potential decline. During Friday’s interview, Biden rejected subjecting himself to such tests, arguing that the daily rigors of the presidency were proof enough of his mental acuity.
But California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff told NBC he would be “happy if both the president and Donald Trump would take a cognitive test.” Trump, during his own campaign rallies, said Biden should undergo such tests while boasting about his own physical and mental toughness.
Schiff added that whichever president chooses to stay in the race “will come down to what Joe Biden thinks is best” and that he could either “run hard” to beat Trump or “if his decision is to pass the torch, then the president should do everything he can.” your reach to make this other candidate successful.”
Biden insisted he is not conceding to any other Democrat, saying he is Democrats’ best chance to defeat Trump. His visit to a black church gives him the opportunity to energize African-American voters, who are the Democrats’ largest and most loyal bloc of support. He could also send a message to members of the Congressional Black Caucus, whose support the president will need as he works to quell a potential riot at the Capitol.
At the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans on Saturday, Biden got enthusiastic support from four caucus members, including Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, who told attendees “don’t go out there and turn your back on this President.”
California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters, 85, received a standing ovation when she declared: “People say Joe Biden is too old. Hell, I’m older than Biden!
“It won’t be any other Democratic candidate,” Waters said, “and we better know that.”
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Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Zeke Miller in Washington, Michelle Price in New York, Meg Kinnard in Chapin, South Carolina, and Bill Barrow in New Orleans contributed to this report.
