President Biden on Monday bluntly rejected suggestions that he withdraw from the presidential race in a letter to Democrats in Congress, arguing that doing so would harm voter favor and ignore his record.
The president, in a letter shared by his campaign, spoke directly about the drama that has engulfed the Democratic Party since its disastrous June 27 debate performance and called on lawmakers to unite behind his candidacy.
“The question of how to move forward has been well discussed for more than a week. And it’s time for it to end,” Biden wrote. “Any weakening of resolve or lack of clarity about the task ahead only helps Trump and hurts us. It’s time to come together.”
A growing number of Democrats have come forward in recent days to suggest that Biden should step down as the party’s 2024 nominee or to cast doubt on his ability to defeat Trump in November. Other party members have openly questioned whether he will be able to campaign with the vigor and energy needed to defeat Trump.
“I’ve heard the concerns that people have – their good faith fears and concerns about what’s at stake in this team. I am not blind to them,” Biden wrote.
“I can respond to all of this by saying clearly and unequivocally: I would not run again if I did not absolutely believe that I was the best person to beat Donald Trump in 2024,” he added.
Biden noted that millions of voters voted in the Democratic primary supporting him as a candidate and asked lawmakers if they would suggest the process didn’t matter, urging him to step aside.
“I refuse to do this,” he wrote to lawmakers. “I feel a deep obligation to the faith and trust that Democratic Party voters placed in me to run this year. It was their decision. Not the press, not the pundits, not the big donors, not any select group of individuals, however well-intentioned.
“Voters – and only voters – decide the Democratic Party candidate. How can we defend democracy in our nation if we ignore it in our own party?” he wrote “I can’t do this. I will not do it.”
The letter comes amid growing calls for Biden to abandon the Democrats’ race for Congress. While these public voices are now a small fraction of Democratic members in the House and Senate, their numbers are expected to grow as the House and Senate return to the Capitol this week.
Five sitting House Democrats have now called for Biden to resign after Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) shared on X that he should step aside on Saturday. She join fellow Democratic House Representatives Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) in publicly calling for him to withdraw from the race.
Biden, in his Monday letter, cited his legislative achievements to grow the economy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, investments to reduce prescription drug costs, efforts to protect access to abortion and his focus on protecting democracy as reasons to believe he can defeat Trump on issues in November.
The campaign also sent a memo to Hill’s offices Monday morning highlighting Biden’s work on the campaign trail last week, which included a trip to Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
It also noted that Biden will hold a press conference on Thursday for the NATO summit and that he is stepping up his travel, including a trip to Detroit, according to the memo acquired by The Hill, which was sent to offices by the Biden-Campaign. Harris.
Democratic congressional offices on Monday received clips of Biden’s speech in Wisconsin, which was energized and during which he declared he will not give up, and a clip of him in Philadelphia.
Biden went around last week speaking with Democratic leadership in Congress, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.) and Whip Hakeem Jeffries (DN.Y.), and held a meeting with Democratic governors at the White House on Wednesday -fair.
The president participated in an interview with ABC’s George Stephanapolous on Friday and is expected to hold a press conference around the NATO Summit on Thursday, amid calls for lawmakers including Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) , so he can hold more impromptu events.
This article was updated at 9:25 am
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
