The president has had a brutal week, but he arrives at the weekend still leading the Democratic ticket, with his campaign rejecting a barrage of private and public calls for his departure.
The president’s week was marred by a positive COVID-19 test result — a grim counterprogramming to the Republican National Convention in the midst of an election in which age and vitality are voters’ priorities. While he saw a brief lull in lawmakers publicly saying he should drop his 2024 bid following the assassination attempt on former President Trump — and Biden’s immediate calls for unity after that — those public statements have resumed, with another senator and nine members of the Chamber going public only on Friday.
Biden faces a ticking clock before the Democratic National Committee moves forward with plans to nominate him virtually as early as Aug. 1, ahead of the convention that begins Aug. 19, and faces mounting pressure to make a final decision on his political future.
COVID symptoms improve, but weekend schedule is empty
Biden is weighing one of the toughest policy decisions of his decades-long career while he has COVID-19 and is isolated at his home in Rehoboth, Del.
The president tested positive on Wednesday while campaigning in Las Vegas. He had nothing scheduled for the rest of the week and no public plans coming up, but said Friday that he hopes to “get back on the campaign trail next week.”
Biden’s doctor, Kevin O’Connor, released an update on his health, noting that he took his fourth dose of Paxlovid that morning and tested positive for COVID-19 again on Thursday. O’Connor said Biden’s main symptoms are a “loose, unproductive cough and hoarseness,” but he is improving significantly.
He also said the president’s lungs are clear, blood tests are normal and the blood count shows no evidence of bacterial infection.
First Lady Jill Biden is in Rehoboth with her husband. She has been visiting critical states this month, including Georgia, North Carolina and Florida, and is expected to leave for Paris next week for the Olympics.
Vice President Harris, who campaigned in North Carolina this week and has been a staunch supporter of Biden amid speculation that she could replace him, is expected to address major Democratic donors on Friday, The New York Times reported, as Biden has struggled to ease donor concerns about his candidacy.
Biden team defiant after damning reports
Biden’s team insists he is not giving up on the race, though reports say the president is open to the possibility. Pressure is mounting from party leaders such as former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.) and former President Obama, who have reportedly told Biden that he would probably lose to Trump.
“Absolutely, the president is in this race,” Biden campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said Friday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” adding that Biden “is more committed than ever to defeating Donald Trump. Trump.”
A source familiar with the White House team’s thinking pointed out Friday that Biden was questioned in the 2022 midterm elections and the 2020 Democratic primaries, and stood out.
“This president and his team are resilient as hell. He is committed to staying in this race until he is re-elected, period. His team too,” the source said.
Biden led in polls during the 2020 campaign, and while he remains neck-and-neck with Trump nationally, he has fallen further behind in swing states since their disastrous debate last month.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Biden’s campaign remain insistent on moving forward with plans to nominate Biden through a virtual call before the convention.
Growing list of Democrats calls for Biden to leave
The chorus of Democratic lawmakers calling for Biden to resign rose by 10 on Friday — nine House members and one senator — a worrying sign for the president that is only expected to increase when Congress returns to Washington next week.
Reps. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Marc Veasey (D-Texas), Jesús “Chuy” García (D-Ill.), and Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) called on Biden to step aside in a joint statement Friday. fair, a notable development that highlights the discontent with the president coming from various sectors of the Democratic Party.
Veasey is the first member of the Congressional Black Caucus to urge Biden to withdraw from the race, highlighting a crack in what has been the president’s strongest support group on Capitol Hill. Huffman, García and Pocan are part of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, where Biden has also enjoyed broad support.
García is also a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC). The joint statement was published the same day that news broke that CHC’s political arm, BOLD PAC, was supporting Biden, blowing a hole in what the campaign saw as an important sign of support for his re-election bid.
Other calls for Biden to resign came from Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), a close ally of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), a caucus of front, and Reps. Sean Casten (D-Ill.), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) and Morgan McGarvey (D-Ky.).
On the other side of the Capitol, Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) became the third senator to call on Biden to step aside, joining Sens. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont. .)
Biden Gets New Endorsements
The campaign announced Friday morning a new endorsement from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ political arm, BOLD PAC, The Hill first reported.
And more than 1,400 Black women and allies indicated their support for Biden and Harris in a Thursday letter.
O’Malley Dillon held a conference call with the entire campaign team on Friday, during which he praised those who supported Biden, according to a source familiar with the call.
“The people the president hears from are saying, stay in this race, keep going and keep fighting, and we need you. These voices will never be as loud as the people on TV, but remember that people in our country don’t watch cable news,” she said, according to the source.
Others are coming to her defense, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (DN.Y.), who attacked the Democratic “elites” who are pushing for Biden to resign, warning that they too are “not interested” in seeing Harris come to the fore. of the ticket.
And Delaware Sen. Chris Coons (D), Biden’s campaign co-chair, after saying Biden is “weighing” his future, shared on social platform: “I fully support the president. He told me he’s in it to win. I’m 100% with him because I know he can beat Trump like he did last time.”
Jeffries coy about Biden as pressure grows in caucus
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (DN.Y.) praised Biden on Friday but stopped short of endorsing the president — or calling on him to step aside — further fueling speculation about the top Democrat’s stance in the debate over Biden’s candidacy.
Jeffries has been coy in his public comments about Biden since last month’s disastrous debate, but according to ABC Newssuggested to Biden during a meeting last week that he should drop out of the race.
He did not confirm those reports on Friday.
“President Biden, as I have said repeatedly, is our candidate,” Jeffries said during an event in Brooklyn. “He has a tremendous track record of success. He is one of the most accomplished American presidents in our history and has the vision, I believe, the skill, the ability and the record to stand up for the American people that will result in our success in November.”
In a statement following the ABC report, a spokesperson for Jeffries said: “Any further characterization of the private, one-on-one meeting between President Biden and Leader Jeffries is speculative and uninformed.”
The return of Congress approaches
Both the House and Senate are scheduled to return to Washington on Monday, marking the first time in more than a week that Democrats will come face-to-face with reporters questioning their stance on Biden’s future.
Since Democrats were last on Capitol Hill, Biden has held a high-stakes press conference and given an interview with NBC News and other media outlets, but polls have done little to reassure Democrats that he can win back their support. voters and defeat Trump, and fears are growing he will also drag out House and Senate candidates.
Some Democrats expect more lawmakers to emerge when Congress returns to session next week.
“I would be very surprised if that didn’t happen,” one House Democrat, who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive deliberations, told The Hill when asked if more members would urge Biden to step aside next week.
“I just think the alarm is spreading among those who live in competitive districts, or those who are waiting for opportunities to be explored,” they added. “Seeing all of this in danger will lead people to make difficult choices.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
